Iran attacks Israel and Gulf countries to pressure Trump

US says it destroyed 16 mine vessels as Iran threatens to block Gulf oil exports US says it destroyed 16 mine vessels as Iran threatens to block Gulf oil exports DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. military said it shot down several Iranian vessels Tuesday as the Islamic Republic vowed to block oil exports from the region and concerns grew about the country's threats to block oil tankers from using a waterway through which 20% of the world's oil is shipped. The United States destroyed 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels, although President Donald Trump said in social media posts that there were no reports that Iran had placed explosives in the Strait of Hormuz. The US military released the figure, along with unclassified images of some of the ships, after Trump earlier warned Iran not to place mines in the strait. Both sides sharpened their rhetoric as the war entered its 11th day and Trump threatened to attack Iran at “a level never seen before” if the country did not immediately remove any mines it may have placed in the canal. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth promised the most intense strikes yet, while the Pentagon detailed the largest number of injuries suffered by US troops. The effects of the conflict spread throughout the Middle East and beyond. Iranian leaders ruled out talks, threatened Trump and launched new attacks on Israel and Gulf Arab countries. In Iran, residents of Tehran said they suffered some of the heaviest attacks of the war. One woman said she saw a residential building being hit. She and others contacted by The Associated Press spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid retaliation. Tens of thousands of Iranians have sought refuge in the countryside. Lebanon reports more deaths Multiple Israeli strikes killed seven people in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese Health Ministry said early Wednesday. Also killed was a member of the Red Cross who died early Wednesday after an Israeli strike targeted his team on Monday while they were rescuing people following an earlier attack, the Health Ministry said. On Tuesday, Israeli airstrikes killed four people, including a paramedic working for the Hezbollah-affiliated Islamic Health Authority, which was treating the wounded. Israel said it was working to intercept missiles from Iran and Hezbollah, which began firing at Israel after the start of the war. In Iraq, drones attacked military bases inside Baghdad International Airport on Tuesday night, two security officials told the AP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press. Some drones fell near Iraqi security positions, while others landed near logistical support sites used by U.S.-led coalition forces, an official said. Iranian attacks in the United Arab Emirates (home to the business and travel hub of Dubai) have killed six people and injured 122 others. In Bahrain, the Interior Ministry said early Wednesday that sirens were sounded, urging people to seek safety. The warnings came a day after an Iranian strike hit a residential building in the capital, Manama, killing a 29-year-old woman and wounding eight people. Pentagon says 140 US soldiers have been injured since war began Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said U.S. forces struck more than 5,000 targets. The Pentagon said separately Tuesday that about 140 U.S. service members have been wounded in the war, and that the "vast majority" of injuries were minor, and that 108 service members have already returned to duty. Eight U.S. service members suffered serious injuries and seven died. In Iran, at least 1,230 people have died, while the death toll exceeds 480 in Lebanon and 12 in Israel, according to officials. Iran's leaders have remained defiant after days of heavy attacks on the country's leaders, milit