As Iran's new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei, stated in his first message that “we must continue to use the leverage of closing the Strait of Hormuz,” U.S. administration officials said Iran began laying mines using small craft on the 12th (local time), the New York Times (NYT) reported. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is continuing attacks targeting oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and nearby waters to pressure the United States to halt the war.

Citing U.S. government officials, the NYT reported that Iran began mine-laying operations using small craft that day. According to these officials, Iran appears to be laying mines faster than the United States can clear them, aiming to block vessels from transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. military said on the 10th it sank numerous Iranian warships near the strait, including 16 mine-laying vessels.

According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), at around 1:30 a.m. that day two oil tankers were struck off the Iraqi coast in the northern Gulf. The Iraqi state news agency INA reported that a total of 38 crew members were rescued, while one person died.

The IRGC said it attacked one of the struck vessels that was U.S.-owned, asserting that the ship did not comply with warnings.

At around 6:19 a.m. the same day, a container ship sailing off the United Arab Emirates (UAE) coast near the Strait of Hormuz was also attacked by an unidentified projectile. A fire broke out on board, but all crew members were believed to be safe.

Based on vessel-tracking data, the NYT reported that since the war began on the 28th of last month, at least 16 ships have been attacked in the Gulf.

On the 13th, marking the second week of the Iran war that began with U.S. and Israeli airstrikes, both sides continued armed exchanges.

The IRGC stated that in recent attacks targeting Israel and U.S. bases in the Middle East, it used missiles with warheads exceeding 2 tons.

Following Mojtaba's first statement, Iran fired multiple missiles toward Israel that day, and the Israeli military announced that two people were injured in northern Israel as a result of the attacks.

A few hours after Mojtaba's statement, Israel also resumed a large-scale barrage targeting Tehran, the Iranian capital. The Israeli military said its targets were regime infrastructure across the city.

Israel also said it struck checkpoints set up in Tehran by the Basij militia, a paramilitary organization under the IRGC, throughout the day.

On the 13th, U.S. President Donald Trump warned on Truth Social, “We are completely destroying the Iranian terror regime through military, economic, and all means,” adding, “Watch what happens to these deranged scum today.”

Trump asserted, “The Iranian navy has disappeared, the air force no longer exists, and all capabilities, including missiles and drones, are being annihilated.”