U.S. attacks Iranian mine-laying vessels near Hormuz on Day 12 of war

## Summary
Declan Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa, who were killed in a drone strike at a command center in Kuwait after the U.S. and Israel launched its military campaign against Iran, during a casualty return, Saturday, March 7, 2026, at Dover Air Force Base, Del. To jump to specific areas of coverage, use the links below: Iranian mine-laying vessels | Strait of Hormuz vessel attack | Strikes across Gulf | Israel Hezbollah attacks | Lebanon | Netanyahu to Iranians | Senate Democrats | Iran women soccer team U.S. attacks Iranian mine-laying vessels near Strait of Hormuz The U.S. military said Tuesday it destroyed 16 mine-laying vessels near the Strait of Hormuz. The announcement came after President Trump warned Iran to "immediately" remove any mines placed in the strait. "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!" he wrote on Truth Social. "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." Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also said the U.S. would not allow what he called "terrorists" to hold the strait hostage. Israel strikes Hezbollah sites in Lebanon and says it thwarted a drone launch squad in Iran Israel's military said it completed another wave of strikes in Beirut's southern suburbs, targeting what it described as command centers and weapons storage sites belonging to Hezbollah.

## Article Content
U.S. attacks Iranian mine-laying vessels near Hormuz on Day 12 of war
March 11, 2026
5:45 AM ET
By
NPR Staff
Door attendants U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Christina Jiminez and Senior Airman Awng Dingrin close the doors of the transfer vans containing the remains of U.S. Army Reserve soldiers Maj. Jeffrey O'Brien, 45, of Indianola, Iowa, Capt. Cody Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Fla., Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minn., Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Neb., and Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa, who were killed in a drone strike at a command center in Kuwait after the U.S. and Israel launched its military campaign against Iran, during a casualty return, Saturday, March 7, 2026, at Dover Air Force Base, Del.
Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
The Iran war entered its 12th day as uncertainty grew over when it might end – amid continued attacks and a mounting human toll.
Iranian and Lebanese health officials and Israeli authorities have
reported
more than 1,200 people killed in Iran, 570 in Lebanon and 12 in Israel.
Seven U.S. soldiers
have died, the Pentagon says.
The Pentagon also said Tuesday that roughly 140 U.S. soldiers have been injured by Iranian missile and drone strikes. Eight of those injuries were considered severe, but most were described as minor. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said many of the injuries occurred at U.S. bases in countries neighboring Iran.
Here are other major updates about the conflict.
To jump to specific areas of coverage, use the links below:
Iranian mine-laying vessels
|
Strait of Hormuz vessel attack
|
Strikes across Gulf
|
Israel Hezbollah attacks
|
Lebanon
|
Netanyahu to Iranians
|
Senate Democrats
|
Iran women soccer team
U.S. attacks Iranian mine-laying vessels near Strait of Hormuz
The U.S. military
said Tuesday
it destroyed 16 mine-laying vessels near the Strait of Hormuz. The announcement came after President Trump warned Iran to "immediately" remove any mines placed in the strait.
"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!"
he wrote
on Truth Social. "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."
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also
said the U.S. would not allow
what he called "terrorists" to hold the strait hostage.
Roughly a fifth of the oil consumed globally passes through the narrow waterway between Oman and Iran. The Iran war has effectively
shuttered the strait
to tanker traffic and roiled markets.
Cargo vessel struck in Strait of Hormuz
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a British group that monitors maritime security,
said Wednesday
that a commercial cargo vessel was struck by an unidentified projectile while crossing the Strait of Hormuz, sparking a fire onboard.
UKMTO said the crew was being evacuated from the vessel after issuing a distress call.
Strikes and interceptions across the Gulf
Authorities in Dubai
said two drones
fell near Dubai International Airport on Wednesday, injuring four people. Three of them had minor injuries, and one with moderate injuries. Air traffic, meanwhile, continued as normal. UKMTO also reported that a vessel was hit by an unknown projectile in the waters northwest of Dubai, but said the crew was safe.
Saudi Arabia's
defense ministry said
it had intercepted and destroyed six ballistic missiles launched toward Prince Sultan Air Base, which hosts U.S. troops, and destroyed drones heading toward the kingdom's eastern region.
Kuwait's National Guard
said it downed
eight drones, and said its forces were on high alert in coordination with the army, police and other agencies.
Israel strikes Hezbollah sites in Lebanon and says it thwarted a drone launch squad in Iran
Israel's military
said it completed another wave
of strikes in Beirut's southern suburbs, targeting what it described as command centers and weapons storage sites belonging to Hezbollah. It also said it struck a Hezbollah command post in the Tyre area in southern Lebanon.
Separately, the Israeli military
said it struck
a drone launch squad in western Iran on Monday, minutes before it was set to launch drones toward Israel.
UN says nearly 700,000 people displaced in Lebanon
The United Nations says nearly 700,000 people are now displaced in Lebanon, including large numbers of children, after Israeli strikes and evacuation orders pushed people from southern Lebanon and parts of Beirut. U.N. agencies say the scale of displacement has strained shelters and basic services, and warned that health facilities are under severe pressure.
At the Sports City football stadium on the outskirts of Beirut, about 800 people are now living in tents without access to clean bathrooms and showers.
Samer Safaer, who works with the nonprofit Makhzoumi Founda

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## Expert Analysis

### Merits
N/A

### Areas for Consideration
- Safah also said organizations like his have been severely impacted by President Trump's cuts to international humanitarian aid, making it difficult to provide essential services to those in need in Lebanon. -Hadeel Al-Shalchi Netanyahu tells Iranians to "seize the moment" Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a direct appeal to Iranians Tuesday, calling the war a "once in a lifetime opportunity" to remove the country's clerical leadership.

### Implications
- Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP hide caption toggle caption Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP The Iran war entered its 12th day as uncertainty grew over when it might end – amid continued attacks and a mounting human toll.
- The announcement came after President Trump warned Iran to "immediately" remove any mines placed in the strait. "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!" he wrote on Truth Social. "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." Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also said the U.S. would not allow what he called "terrorists" to hold the strait hostage.
- He wrote that Iran's leaders were "on the run." He said Israel was focused on regime targets and that its military was doing its best "not to harm the People of Iran." "In the coming days we will create the conditions for you to grasp your destiny," he wrote. "Your dreams will become a reality.
- When the time is right, and that time is fast approaching, we will pass the torch to you.

### Expert Commentary
This article covers iran, war, strait topics. Areas of concern are also raised. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 1318.