WASHINGTON, March 10 (Reuters) - The U.S. military "eliminated" 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels ⁠near ⁠the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, the ⁠U.S. Central Command said in a statement, as President Donald Trump warned that any ​mines laid in the Strait by Iran must be removed immediately.

DUBAI, March 11 (Reuters) - Three vessels have been hit by unknown projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz, maritime security and risk firms said on Wednesday, bringing the number of ships struck in the region since the Iran conflict began to at least 14.

The war with Iran widened on Wednesday as commercial vessels came under attack near the Strait of Hormuz, Tehran threatened oil traffic through the waterway and Iranian officials said the country’s new supreme leader had been wounded in earlier U.S. and Israeli strikes.

Iran is using smaller crafts to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz, two U.S. officials said.

In today’s newsletter: The U.S. military says it “eliminated” 16 Iranian mine-laying ships near the Strait of Hormuz.

A cargo vessel was set ablaze in the Strait of Hormuz in the early hours of Wednesday after being hit by an unknown projectile, British maritime authorities said.

Iran has continued to ship crude oil via the Strait of Hormuz to China even as the war between U.S.-Israel and Iran has disrupted broader energy supplies via the waterway.

BANGKOK, March 11 (Reuters) - Twenty crew have been rescued from a Thai ship hit by unknown projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz but three crew remain missing, Thailand's Transport Ministry said on Wednesday.

The U.S.-centric insurance idea runs counter to the realities of an international market, according to industry executives.