US President Donald Trump says the US military has "completely destroyed" 10 inactive Iranian mine-laying vessels after reports of Iranian action in the Strait of Hormuz.
The announcement came soon after two other social media postings by the US president, in which he said he has no reports of Iran putting explosive mines in the strategic waterway.
He warned Tehran that if it did, "we want them removed, IMMEDIATELY!" he wrote.
US says strikes against Iran to ramp up - watch on TVNZ+
"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 posted online.
Trump also said during a press conference on Tuesday that "the Strait of Hormuz is going to remain safe. We have a lot of Navy ships there. We have the best equipment in the world inspecting for mines," according to CNN.
Instability around the Strait of Hormuz and soaring crude prices are putting sharp upward pressure on NZ fuel costs. (Source: 1News)
The concern was that mines could make it impossible for tankers to pass through the strait, which could cause oil and natural gas prices to rise as a fifth of the world's oil passes through the strait, which is only about 33km wide at its narrowest point.
Trump has been sensitive to higher energy prices as a domestic political issue, as his economic argument to voters is based on keeping gasoline costs low.
In his social media post he added that there would be "more to follow".
Meanwhile, a spokesperson said a video clip posted by Energy Secretary Chris Wright was deleted from his official X account after it was determined that it was incorrectly captioned by department staff.
The post, which claimed that the US Navy had helped an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz, was quickly taken down.
Spokesperson Ben Dietderich said the secretary and other officials are “closely monitoring the situation” in the strait, a key access point for oil and natural gas shipments in the Middle East.
The military is considering additional options to keep it open “including the potential for our Navy to escort tankers,” Dietderich said.
The prospect of military escorts could help reduce price pressures created by the war.
The US stock market and oil prices were holding relatively steady Wednesday after Trump's signals about how long the war could last caused wild swings in financial and fuel markets.
The Pentagon, meanwhile, offered its first tally of American wounded, saying about 140 US troops have been injured, eight severely.
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