THIS is the moment US bombs rain down on Iranian boats as tensions explode over the vital Strait of Hormuz.
Dramatic footage released by United States Central Command shows Iranian vessels being blasted apart in a series of precision strikes at sea.
The grainy aerial video captures the small craft scattered across dark waters before sudden flashes erupt, followed by towering plumes of smoke and debris ripping through the boats.
Seconds later, the vessels appear crippled and burning as the blasts churn the surrounding water.
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The Pentagon released the images on Tuesday as the US ramps up pressure on Tehran amid fears the regime is trying to mine the crucial global shipping route.
Officials say the strikes targeted Iranian boats believed to be involved in threatening international shipping.
On social media, Centcom said the attacks were aimed at weakening Tehran’s ability to “harass international shipping.”
“For years, Iranian forces have threatened freedom of navigation in waters essential to the security and prosperity of the United States, the region, and the world,” it said.
It is unclear when the strikes took place.
Centcom also did not specifically mention the Strait of Hormuz in its post.
But the footage dropped just hours after reports emerged that Iran may be preparing to sabotage the strategic waterway.
According to CBS News, Tehran has been using small vessels to place naval mines along the shipping lane.
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Naval mines are explosives placed in the sea that detonate when ships pass over or strike them – a tactic capable of blocking major maritime routes.
Around a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes through the narrow Hormuz chokepoint each day, with about 80 tankers sailing through the strait.
US intelligence agencies are monitoring the deployment of small Iranian craft capable of carrying two or three mines each.
Once planted, a single device could blow an oil tanker out of the water.
Estimates suggest Iran may possess between 2,000 and 6,000 naval mines, including Iranian, Chinese and Russian-made variants.
Minutes after the strike footage was released, US President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to Tehran.
“If, for any reason, mines have been laid and are not removed immediately, the military consequences for Iran will be of an unprecedented magnitude,” he stated.
Trump also said the United States is monitoring the region and will destroy any vessel used to mine the Strait of Hormuz.
In a follow-up message, he claimed US forces had already wiped out several of the suspected boats.
“Within the last few hours we have hit, and completely destroyed, 10 inactive mine laying boats,” the president said.
Earlier this week, Trump warned Iran it would face attacks “twenty times stronger” if it attempted to block the flow of oil through the strait.
He has also said he was considering taking control of the region to keep the route open.
The threats come as oil prices surged towards $120 a barrel on Monday amid fears the crisis could choke off global supplies.
Iran has meanwhile claimed the Strait of Hormuz has been closed since last week and warned it could attack ships trying to pass through.
The waterway sits between Iranian territory and the Arabian Peninsula and is one of the most strategically important shipping lanes on Earth.
The crisis has already rattled global energy markets.
Dozens of giant oil tankers carrying fuel for Europe, China, India and Japan have reportedly been forced to wait offshore near Dubai and Oman.
Any prolonged blockade could send UK energy bills soaring and drive up the price of goods as inflation surges worldwide.
