The US says it has struck multiple Iranian naval vessels, including 16 minelaying vessels operating near the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s busiest oil shipping channel.
Its effective closure has already led to a sharp rise in petrol prices, and the White House said the US military was drawing up additional options designed to keep it open.
The strikes were part of military action in the country on Tuesday, with US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth warning it would be the “most intense” day of strikes thus far.
A top Iranian security official said early on Tuesday his country is not scared of what he called “worthless threats” by President Donald Trump.
During a Tuesday morning US defence department update on the operation in Iran, Hegseth said US goals include destroying Iran’s missile stockpiles, their missile launchers and their defence industrial base; destroying Iran’s navy; and permanently denying the country nuclear weapons.
He said that in the last 24 hours, Iran has fired the lowest number of missiles since the start of the war.
Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Dan Caine said that Iranian ballistic missile attacks continue to trend downwards.
They are “90% from where they started, and one-way attack drones have decreased 83% since the beginning of the operation”, he said.
Hegseth did not give a timeline on the conflict ending, telling reporters that “our will is endless” but it was up to the president on how long it lasts.
He also said this would not be a repeat of the past, when the US became involved in drawn-out conflicts in the Middle East.
“This is not 2003,” he said. “This is not endless nation-building under those types of quagmires we saw under Bush or Obama. It’s not even close. Our generation of soldier will not let that happen again, and nor will this president who very clearly ran against those kinds of never-ending, nebulous scoped missions.”
On Tuesday, the Pentagon said around 140 US service members have been wounded since the beginning of the Iran war on 28 February.
It said most injuries have been minor and 108 service members have already returned to duty, while eight people were severely injured.
Seven US service members have died. Iranian officials have vowed defiance in response to the campaign.
