Washington, D.C., March 20 — As the West Asia and Gulf crisis entered its third week, Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters at the Pentagon that U.S. forces have destroyed 44 Iranian mine-laying vessels, undermining Tehran’s ability to mine the Strait of Hormuz.
Gen. Caine said U.S. Central Command continues operations to locate and destroy mine storage sites, naval ammunition depots and afloat assets. “We continue to hunt and kill afloat assets, including more than 120 vessels and 44 mine layers, and the pressure will continue,” he said.
He added that A-10 Warthogs have been committed to operations on the southern flank alongside AH-64 Apache attack helicopters to target fast attack craft in the Straits of Hormuz. The A-10, long used by the U.S. Air Force for close air support with its 30mm gun, is now engaged in countering small, fast maritime threats, Gen. Caine said.
ABC News reported that two of the U.S. Navy’s three counter-mine ships normally based in Bahrain were operating in a different theater for scheduled maintenance on Wednesday. Military analysts cited by ABC suggested that deploying Marines to the region could enable ground raids against coastal missile and drone depots that pose risks to U.S. and commercial shipping.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said operations remain “on plan” but declined to offer a timeline for the conflict’s end, noting that any final decision would rest with the president. This report is based on syndicated coverage and on-the-record remarks from U.S. officials.
