The United States said Tuesday it was striking Iranian ships capable of mining the crucial Strait of Hormuz and threatened escalation if Tehran presses ahead, as the Middle East war wreaks havoc on global oil markets. The US military posted video footage of Iranian boats blasted by missiles and other projectiles as it said it had destroyed 16 minelayers near the Strait of Hormuz, the chokepoint to the Gulf through which one-fifth of the world's oil passes.
