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The United States has stepped up operations in the Strait of Hormuz, targeting Iran’s mine-laying vessels amid growing fears of disruptions to one of the world’s most critical oil supply routes.As tensions in West Asia set to enter fourth week, US forces are actively hunting and destroying Iranian naval assets, including vessels capable of mining the strait, a move that could severely disrupt global energy flows. The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most sensitive maritime chokepoints. Any disruption here has immediate global consequences, particularly for oil markets.
The escalation comes just a day after Iran targeted Gulf energy infrastructure, including key oil facilities in Kuwait & Qatar in retaliation to Israel's strike on South Pars.
US steps up hunt for mine-laying vessels
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine said US forces had already destroyed 44 Iranian mine-laying vessels, part of a broader push to neutralise Tehran’s maritime threat.“We continue to hunt and kill mine storage facilities and naval ammunition depots. We continue to hunt and kill afloat assets, including more than 120 vessels and 44 mine layers, and the pressure will continue,” Caine said.
He added that the A-10 Warthog has now been deployed alongside AH-64 Apache helicopters to target Iranian fast attack craft in the Strait of Hormuz.
“The A-10 Warthog is now in the fight across the southern flank and is hunting and killing fast attack watercraft in the Straits of Hormuz. In addition, AH-64 Apaches have joined the fight on the southern flank, and they continue to work on the southern side,” he said.
A-10 Warthog
A-10 Thunderbolt II, also known as the Warthog, an aircraft originally designed in the 1970s to destroy tanks on the battlefield.Now, it is being repurposed for a very different mission: hunting small, fast-moving boats in one of the world’s busiest waterways.Unlike high-speed fighter jets, it can fly low and slow, allowing pilots to visually track and engage small maritime targets with precision. Its ability to loiter over battle zones for extended periods makes it especially effective against swarm tactics.Its defining weapon, the GAU-8 Avenger 30mm cannon, can fire up to 4,200 rounds per minute, delivering devastating firepower against lightly armoured vessels.The aircraft can absorb damage from armour-piercing and high-explosive rounds of up to 23mm, while redundant flight systems and self-sealing fuel tanks enhance its resilience in combat.It can operate from austere bases close to the front line, fly in low-visibility conditions, and carry both precision-guided and unguided munitions, making it a flexible platform in a dynamic conflict zone.
English (US) ·