US Iran war news LIVE: US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said today would mark the most intense day of US strikes on Iran, as Tehran launched its own wave of attacks on Israel and across the Persian Gulf. The US military said it destroyed multiple Iranian vessels on Tuesday as the Islamic Republic vowed to block the region’s oil exports, raising concerns over threats to halt tankers passing through a waterway that carries about 20 per cent of the world’s oil.

US on destroying Iranian vessels

The US said it had destroyed 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels, although President Donald Trump said in social media posts there were no reports that Iran had planted explosives in the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump also warned Iran against laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, threatening to destroy any vessel attempting to do so as he reiterated his determination to keep oil flowing through the crucial waterway after nearly two weeks of war.

“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!” Trump posted Tuesday on social media. He said removing them would be “a giant step in the right direction!”

In a series of follow-up messages, Trump said the United States would deploy the same capabilities it used against alleged drug-running boats in the Caribbean Sea “to permanently eliminate any boat or ship attempting to mine the Hormuz Strait.” He added that the US had destroyed 10 “inactive mine laying boats and/or ships” in the last few hours.

Trump issued the warning after CNN reported that Iran had laid several dozen mines in the strait in recent days, citing two people familiar with intelligence reporting on the matter.

Iran’s statement on war

Iran has stated that it will “not seek a ceasefire,” adding that the aggressors should be punished. This remark comes as the White House stated that war in Iran will end once US President Donald Trump “declares all objectives have been met.”

Meanwhile, Israeli PM Netanyahu has said that his government will be drafting a “special budget” for the Iran war.

Fresh strikes on Beirut, Lebanon drawn in

Fresh Israeli strikes later hit Beirut’s southern suburbs and parts of south Lebanon after the Israeli army warned residents to evacuate. Lebanese authorities said nearly 760,000 people had been registered as displaced.

Lebanon was drawn into the war last week when the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah attacked Israel following the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes.

White House denies claims

The White House also said the United States had not escorted any oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz, after a social media post from Energy Secretary Chris Wright briefly claimed that it had before being deleted. The conflicting messages caused markets to swing, with oil prices dropping sharply after the initial post.

The Pentagon said about 140 US military personnel have been wounded in attacks since the start of the Iran war, in addition to the seven US service members who were killed early in the conflict.

Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on social media that the country was “not seeking a ceasefire,” adding that the United States and Israel must be “taught a lesson that will deter them from attacking Iran again.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said military experts in drone defence from Ukraine would travel to Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia this week as Gulf countries deal with Iranian attacks.

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