Attacks in the Strait of Hormuz intensify as Iran says it targeted commercial ships

(STRAIT OF HORMUZ) -- The conflict in the Strait of Hormuz intensified on Wednesday as the Iranian navy confirmed it targeted at least two of three ships struck by projectiles in the critical passage for the oil and shipping trades, and President Donald Trump said the U.S. military destroyed several "inactive" mine-laying boats in the strait.

The increased military activity in the Strait of Hormuz came just three days after President Donald Trump warned Iran in a post on his social media site that if it attempts to "stop the flow of Oil within the Strait of Hormuz, they will be hit by the United States of America TWENTY TIMES HARDER than they have been hit thus far."

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that its navy conducted strikes on two commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday morning.

An IRGC spokesperson said in a statement that its navy struck the ships Express Room and the Mayuree Naree because both commercial vessels were allegedly "ignoring alerts and warnings from the IRGC Navy."

"Every vessel intending to pass must obtain permission from Iran," IRGC naval commander Adm. Alireza Tangsiri said in a social media post on Wednesday.

The Express Room, a container ship sailing under the Liberian flag, was struck by Iranian projectiles after allegedly "ignoring warnings from the IRGC Navy and came to a halt in its position," the IRGC spokesperson said.

The Thai-flagged container ship Mayuree Naree was targeted for allegedly "ignoring alerts and warnings from the IRGC Navy and unlawfully insisting on transiting the Strait of Hormuz, according to the IRGC spokesperson.

Thai officials reported that three crew members were missing from the vessel following the attack.

"The Strait of Hormuz is, without a doubt and without a moment's neglect, under the intelligent management of the brave naval forces of the IRGC. American aggressors and their allies have no right of passage," the Iranian spokesperson said.

Earlier Wednesday, the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations Center (UKMTO) said it had received reports that three ships came under attack in the Strait of Hormuz. It did not identify the vessels, nor did it say at the time who was responsible for the attacks.

The UKMTO said one container ship was struck about 11 nautical miles north of Oman, in the passage that connects the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

"The vessel has requested assistance and the crew are evacuated," the UKMTO said.

The other two container ships, according to the UKMTO, were also struck by projectiles early Wednesday. One was hit about 25 nautical miles northwest of the United Arab Emirates port city of Ras Al Khaimah, while the other was stuck northwest of Dubai, according to the UKMTO.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) released videos overnight showing attacks being carried out on Tuesday on what it described as "multiple Iranian naval vessels, March 10, including 16 minelayers near the Strait of Hormuz."

"To date, we have struck more than 5,500 targets inside Iran, including more than 60 ships, using a variety of precision weapons systems," CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper said in a video post Wednesday.

While taking questions from reporters on Wednesday on the South Lawn of the White House before heading to an event in Kentucky, Trump said, "Look, we took out just about all of their mine ships in one night."

"We've knocked out their navy. We've knocked out their air force. We've knocked out all of their air defense," Trump also said.

When asked by a reporter if he's encouraging CEOs of various oil companies to use the Strait of Hormuz, Trump responded, “Yeah, I think they should. I think they should use the Strait."

Asked if there are any mines laid in the Strait of Hormuz, the president said, "We don't think so."

In a social media post on Tuesday, Trump said, "If Iran has put out any mines in the Hormuz Strait, and we have no reports of them doing so, we want them removed, IMMEDIATELY!"

"If for any reason mines were placed, and they are not removed forthwith, the Military consequences to Iran will be at a level never seen before," Trump said in the post.

CENTCOM issued a warning to Iranian civilians on Wednesday to avoid all port facilities where it said Iranian naval forces are carrying out military operations along the Strait of Hormuz. CENTCOM said Iranian dockworkers, administrative personnel and crews of commercial vessels "should avoid Iranian naval vessels and military equipment.

"The Iranian regime is using civilian ports along the Strait of Hormuz to conduct military operations that threaten international shipping. This dangerous action risks the lives of innocent people," CENTCOM said in its warning.

A spokesperson for Iran's armed forces said Wednesday that if Iran's ports are threatened, "all ports and docks in the region will be our legitimate targets." 

In an interview with the Iranian state television, Gen. Abolfazl Shekarchi denied claims that the country's naval forces are hiding in economic ports, and threatened heavier operations if Iran's ports are targeted.

The chaos unfolding across the global economy stems in large part from the narrow but crucial waterway along the southern coast of Iran, which connects the Gulf of Oman to the Persian Gulf.

The Strait of Hormuz facilitates the transport of about one-fifth of the global supply of crude oil and liquid natural gas. Those products hold major implications for the prices of gasoline, plastics and European electricity, among a host of other goods.

The passage, which at its narrowest point is just 21 miles wide, is the only shipping route that stretches from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean, making it a key travel hub for goods originating in oil-rich Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Iran.

Wednesday morning, the International Energy Agency said it would release 400 million barrels of oil from its strategic reserve, marking the largest oil release in the group's history as the global economy grapples with soaring oil prices in the wake of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, and traders fear a prolonged blockade of the maritime passage.

Before the war, roughly 20 million barrels of oil passed through the Strait or Hormuz each day, but tanker traffic has now "all but stopped," Fatih Birol, executive director of the IEA, said at a press conference on Wednesday.

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