U.S. destroys Iranian minelayer to prevent strangulation of Strait of Hormuz, military officials say
The conflict in West Asia and the Gulf has entered its third week. General Dan Cain, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters at the Pentagon that the United States had destroyed 44 Iranian mine-laying vessels, thereby curbing Iran’s ability to mine mines in the strait.
In emphasizing how U.S. Central Command continues to achieve its military objectives, General Dan Cain said, “We will continue to search and destroy mine storage facilities and naval ammunition depots. We will continue to search and destroy maritime assets, including more than 120 ships and 44 mine layers, and the pressure will continue.”
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He further said that A-10 “Warthog” was also deployed together with AH-64 Apache helicopters to “hunt” Iranian ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
He said, “A-10 Warthog aircraft are now operating on the southern flank and are hunting fast attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz. In addition, AH-64 Apache helicopters have also joined the southern flank operations and they continue to work on the southern flank.”
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The A-10 has been in service since the 1970s and is the Air Force’s workhorse in providing close air support, capable of attacking enemy forces near U.S. forces, according to ABC News. Its signature weapon is a 30mm chain gun, a large automatic weapon capable of firing 4,200 rounds per minute, according to the weapon’s manufacturer, General Dynamics.
Two of the Navy’s three mine countermeasures-capable warships based in the Middle East, usually in Bahrain, were in another theater on Wednesday for scheduled maintenance, ABC News quoted a U.S. Navy spokesman as saying.
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The report quoted military experts as saying that Marines deployed to the region may participate in ground attacks targeting assets such as missile and drone depots along Iran’s coast that might otherwise cause trouble for U.S. and commercial ships.
Meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegers said on Thursday that the United States remained “on track” to launch a war against Iran but declined to provide a clear timetable for when the conflict would end, stressing that the final decision would be made by President Donald Trump.
