U.S. Military Ramps Up Assaults on Iranian Drones and Vessels to Clear Strait of Hormuz

New York Times
by Eric Schmitt
March 20, 2026
3 min read

Quick Insights

The Bottom Line

U.S. military is actively hunting and killing Iranian fast-attack boats in the Strait of Hormuz to maintain shipping lanes.

How This Affects You

If the Strait of Hormuz—which carries one-third of global maritime oil trade—becomes disrupted, oil prices could spike, raising your gas and heating costs.

AI Summary

Gen. Dan Caine said U.S. warplanes and attack helicopters are "hunting and killing" Iran's fast-attack watercraft in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most critical shipping chokepoints. The military operation aims to clear contested sea lanes that carry roughly one-third of global maritime oil trade. Iran has long used small, fast boats to harass commercial vessels and assert control over the strategic waterway, creating security risks for international shipping. The intensified U.S. military posture signals an escalation in the Trump administration's approach to Iranian threats in the region and underscores the strategic importance of maintaining freedom of navigation in waters vital to global energy supplies.

What's Being Done

U.S. warplanes and attack helicopters are conducting active combat operations against Iranian vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

Source Coverage Map

5 of 43 tracked sources covered this story

Overlooked Story
12% coverage
Did Not Cover (38)
ICIJ97AP World News96AP News96AP US News96AP Top News96+33 more

Following this story?

Get notified when new coverage appears

Should this be getting more attention?

You Might Have Missed

Related stories from different sources and perspectives

US targets mine-laying vessels in the Strait of Hormuz amid disruption of oil traffic
National Security

US targets mine-laying vessels in the Strait of Hormuz amid disruption of oil traffic

Pentagon zeroing in on mine-laying vessels that are helping Iran keep a stranglehold on Strait of Hormuz, military leaders said, as markets feel pain from its closure.

ABC NewsMar 20
Trump Once Did a Deal With Oligarchs Allegedly Linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard
National Security

Trump Once Did a Deal With Oligarchs Allegedly Linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard

In the opening days of his war against Iran, Donald Trump had a message for members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps: Surrender and get “total immunity”—or face “absolutely guaranteed death.” An elite armed force that exists outside Iran’s normal military structure, the IRGC began as the ayatollah’s personal strike force. But during the country’s […]

Mother JonesMar 16
Trump mulls risky Kharg Island takeover to force Iran to open strait
National Security

Trump mulls risky Kharg Island takeover to force Iran to open strait

<p>The Trump administration is considering plans to occupy or blockade Iran's Kharg Island to pressure Iran to reopen the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/19/strait-hormuz-coalition-allies-statement-uk" target="_blank">Strait of Hormuz</a>, four sources with knowledge of the issue tell Axios.</p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> President Trump can't end the war, at least on his terms, until he breaks <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/13/iran-war-mines-strait-of-hormuz" target="_blank">Iran's chokehold</a> on shipping through the strait. In the meantime, global <a href="https://www.axios.com/energy-climate/oil-companies" target="_blank">energy</a> prices are surging.</p><hr><ul><li>But an operation to take over Kharg Island, which sits 15 miles offshore and processes 90% of Iran's crude oil exports, could put U.S. troops more directly in the line of fire.</li><li>Thus, such an operation would only be launched after the U.S. military further degrades Iran's military capa...

AxiosMar 20
US may remove sanctions on Iranian oil stranded in tankers, treasury secretary says
Politics

US may remove sanctions on Iranian oil stranded in tankers, treasury secretary says

<p>US treasury secretary says actions will increase oil supply and bring down prices, but long-term effects in question</p><p>The US may soon remove sanctions on Iranian oil stranded on tankers at sea, the treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, said on Thursday as Washington seeks to curb prices soaring over Iran’s closure of the strait of Hormuz.</p><p>“In the coming days, we may un-sanction the Iranian oil that’s on the water. It’s about 140m barrels,” Bessent said during an appearance on Fox Business Network’s Mornings with Maria.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/19/us-sanctions-iranian-oil-hormuz">Continue reading...</a>

The Guardian US NewsMar 20
U.N. nuclear watchdog chief on what's next for Iran's nuclear ambitions
Global

U.N. nuclear watchdog chief on what's next for Iran's nuclear ambitions

The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency said that "a lot has survived" of Iran's nuclear capabilities, and military operations alone cannot destroy them. Margaret Brennan has details.

CBS NewsMar 19
Watch live: Pentagon officials face House questioning over US military posture in Europe
National Security

Watch live: Pentagon officials face House questioning over US military posture in Europe

Defense Department officials will testify before the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday morning over the U.S. military’s posture in Europe. The hearing comes after President Trump pressed European allies to join his Gaza Board of Peace — garnering some rejections — and “strongly encouraged” other nations to help police vessels traveling through the Strait…

The HillMar 18
Read Next
Trump faces his most difficult Iran war decision: Will he deploy U.S. troops to seize uranium?
National Security

Trump faces his most difficult Iran war decision: Will he deploy U.S. troops to seize uranium?

The president has been circumspect about how far he's willing to go to follow through on his pledge to destroy Iran's weapons program once and for all, including seizing or destroying the near-bomb-grade nuclear material that Iran possesses.

Continue reading

Did this story change how you see things?

Stories like this only matter when people see them. Help us get verified journalism in front of more eyes.

Share this story

Get the daily digest

Save for later

The Verity Ledger curates verified investigative journalism from trusted sources only.

See our sources