US cites further elimination of Iranian vessels, including minelayers

Image of Iranian vessel is shown here, moments before being hit by a US missile. (US Central Command)

US forces “eliminated multiple Iranian naval vessels [on 10] March, including 16 minelayers, near the Strait of Hormuz”, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on 10 March in several social media postings.

The postings included a montage of short videos showing what CENTCOM indicated were actual missile attacks on several Iranian vessels, mostly small craft that were difficult to identify along piers.

For more about naval operations in the conflict, please seeIran conflict 2026: US announces submarine torpedo strike on Iranian warship .

Iranian minelaying capabilities are of particular concern because the country has threatened to mine the Hormuz Strait, a strategically vital maritime transit way and chokepoint for the transportation of global oil.

Counter-mine operations in the region have historically been a concern for the US Navy (USN), which has been looking to upgrade and augment those capabilities.

The USN decommissioned its final forward-deployed Avenger-class mine-countermeasures (MCM) ships – USS Devastator (MCM 6), USS Sentry (MCM 3), USS Dextrous (MCM 13), and USS Gladiator (MCM 11) – in Bahrain on 25 September 2025.

The decommissionings came soon after the USN had deployed what it considers to be the future of maritime MCM operations – a littoral combat ship (LCS) with the MCM mission package (MP).

USS Canberra (LCS 30) arrived at Naval Support Activity Bahrain on 22 May 2025 – the first LCS to deploy MCM MP and the first Independence variant of the LCS to be deployed to the region, as well as the first of four of that class expected to be deployed in the region.