By Ginika Igboke
The U.S. military said on March 12 that it has destroyed more than 30 Iranian minelaying vessels and struck more than 6,000 targets since the campaign against Iran began last month.
In an update on Operation Epic Fury released by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), the military said it is prioritizing strikes aimed at disabling the Iranian regime’s security apparatus and will focus on locations that pose an imminent threat.
In addition to the more than 30 minelayers, the U.S. military has also destroyed 60 Iranian naval vessels, CENTCOM said in a post on X.
On March 12, the price of oil surpassed $100 per barrel after tankers were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz. At the same time, Iran’s new leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, said in a statement that the strategic waterway would remain closed as the war continues.
In a social media post, U.S. President Donald Trump said rising oil prices are a necessary cost to weaken the Iranian regime.
“The United States is the largest oil producer in the world, by far, so when oil prices go up, we make a lot of money,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
However, he said preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons capable of “destroying the Middle East” and threatening the rest of the world remains his top priority, referring to long-standing concerns among U.S. officials that Tehran is working to produce weapons-grade uranium through its nuclear program.
“I won’t ever let that happen,” he said.
About 20 percent of the world’s oil supply passes through the Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, according to the Energy Information Administration.
As oil prices climbed, the national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline reached $3.60 on March 12, according to AAA data. The price is about 2 cents higher than on March 11 and more than 60 cents above the average price from a month ago.
Khamenei, who has not appeared publicly since being named Iran’s leader last weekend, released a statement through state-run media saying Iran intends to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed. He also vowed to continue fighting the United States and Israel, which launched initial strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, and suggested attacks on Iran’s Gulf neighbors would continue.
“The will of the people is to continue effective defense, and their presence on the scene must be maintained,” he said.
Amid uncertainty over access to the strait, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said some ships could still pass through if they coordinate with Iran’s navy.
“After the current events, generally we cannot return to conditions before Feb. 28,” Baghaei said in remarks carried by state-run media.
Meanwhile, member countries of the International Energy Agency announced on March 11 that they would release 400 million barrels of oil from their strategic reserves, with nearly half of the supply coming from the United States.
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