U.S. attacks Iranian mine-laying vessels near Hormuz on Day 12 of war

The Iran war entered its 12th day as uncertainty grew over when it might end — amid continued attacks and a mounting human toll.

Iranian and Lebanese health officials and Israeli authorities have reported more than 1,200 people killed in Iran, 570 in Lebanon and 12 in Israel. Seven U.S. soldiers have died, the Pentagon says.

The Pentagon also said Tuesday that roughly 140 U.S. soldiers have been injured by Iranian missile and drone strikes. Eight of those injuries were considered severe, but most were described as minor. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said many of the injuries occurred at U.S. bases in countries neighboring Iran.

Here are other major updates about the conflict.

To jump to specific areas of coverage, use the links below:

Iranian mine-laying vessels | Strait of Hormuz vessel attack | Strikes across Gulf | Israel Hezbollah attacks | Lebanon | Netanyahu to Iranians | Senate Democrats | Iran women soccer team

U.S. attacks Iranian mine-laying vessels near Strait of Hormuz

The U.S. military said Tuesday it destroyed 16 mine-laying vessels near the Strait of Hormuz. The announcement came after President Trump warned Iran to “immediately” remove any mines placed in the strait.

“If Iran has put out any mines in the Hormuz Strait, and we have no reports of them doing so, we want them removed, IMMEDIATELY!” he wrote on Truth Social. “If for any reason mines were placed, and they are not removed forthwith, the Military consequences to Iran will be at a level never seen before.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also said the U.S. would not allow what he called “terrorists” to hold the strait hostage.

Roughly a fifth of the oil consumed globally passes through the narrow waterway between Oman and Iran. The Iran war has effectively shuttered the strait to tanker traffic and roiled markets.

Cargo vessel struck in Strait of Hormuz

The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a British group that monitors maritime security, said Wednesday that a commercial cargo vessel was struck by an unidentified projectile while crossing the Strait of Hormuz, sparking a fire onboard.

UKMTO said the crew was being evacuated from the vessel after issuing a distress call.

Strikes and interceptions across the Gulf

Authorities in Dubai said two drones fell near Dubai International Airport on Wednesday, injuring four people. Three of them had minor injuries, and one with moderate injuries. Air traffic, meanwhile, continued as normal. UKMTO also reported that a vessel was hit by an unknown projectile in the waters northwest of Dubai, but said the crew was safe.

Saudi Arabia’s defense ministry said it had intercepted and destroyed six ballistic missiles launched toward Prince Sultan Air Base, which hosts U.S. troops, and destroyed drones heading toward the kingdom’s eastern region.

Kuwait’s National Guard said it downed eight drones, and said its forces were on high alert in coordination with the army, police and other agencies.

Israel strikes Hezbollah sites in Lebanon and says it thwarted a drone launch squad in Iran

Israel’s military said it completed another wave of strikes in Beirut’s southern suburbs, targeting what it described as command centers and weapons storage sites belonging to Hezbollah. It also said it struck a Hezbollah command post in the Tyre area in southern Lebanon.

Separately, the Israeli military said it struck a drone launch squad in western Iran on Monday, minutes before it was set to launch drones toward Israel.

U.N. says nearly 700,000 people displaced in Lebanon

The United Nations says nearly 700,000 people are now displaced in Lebanon, including large numbers of children, after Israeli strikes and evacuation orders pushed people from southern Lebanon and parts of Beirut. U.N. agencies say the scale of displacement has strained shelters and basic services, and warned that health facilities are under severe pressure.

At the Sports City football stadium on the outskirts of Beirut, about 800 people are now living in tents without access to clean bathrooms and showers.

Samer Safah, who works with the nonprofit Makhzoumi Foundation, told NPR resources are stretched.

“We cannot cater for half a million displaced,” he said.

Safah also said organizations like his have been severely impacted by President Trump’s cuts to international humanitarian aid, making it difficult to provide essential services to those in need in Lebanon.

— Hadeel Al-Shalchi

Netanyahu tells Iranians to “seize the moment”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a direct appeal to Iranians on Tuesday, calling the war a “once in a lifetime opportunity” to remove the country’s clerical leadership.

In a lengthy post on X, Netanyahu urged Iranians to “seize the moment,” saying Israel and the United States are striking regime targets and “creating the conditions” for Iranians to act.

He wrote that Iran’s leaders were “on the run.” He said Israel was focused on regime targets and that its military was doing its best “not to harm the People of Iran.”

“In the coming days we will create the conditions for you to grasp your destiny,” he wrote. “Your dreams will become a reality. When the time is right, and that time is fast approaching, we will pass the torch to you. Be ready to seize the moment!”

Sen. Chris Murphy says war briefings are “incoherent and incomplete”

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said he attended another classified briefing on the Iran war Tuesday and accused the Trump administration of keeping the briefings closed because, he said, “Trump can’t defend this war in public.”

In a post on X, Murphy said officials told lawmakers that destroying Iran’s nuclear program and “regime change” were not among the stated war goals. He said briefings mostly focused on how the U.S. military was “destroying lots of missiles and boat and drone factories.” He argued officials couldn’t explain what prevented Iran from rebuilding those capabilities.

Murphy also criticized what he said was a lack of planning to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, warning the situation could become an “endless war.”

Other Senate Democrats have raised similar concerns after classified briefings, saying the administration has not laid out clear goals, urging for more public transparency.

Two more members of Iranian women’s soccer team granted asylum in Australia

Australia Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said two more members of Iran’s women’s soccer delegation — one player and one staff member — were granted humanitarian visas overnight, bringing the total to seven team members allowed to remain.

Burke said the two were reunited with five teammates who made the same decision earlier this week.

“They will be safe here,” he wrote in a post on X. “They are welcome here in Australia.”

The women had sought protection over fears of reprisals after they refused to sing Iran’s national anthem during a match, which took place in Australia, when the war broke out. The women were later labeled “traitors” on Iranian state television, fueling concerns about their safety if they returned home.

Rebecca Rosman contributed to this report from Paris. Hadeel Al-Shalchi contributed from Beirut.