The number depends on what you mean by “Iran sunk.” In the current reporting I found, the U.S. said it had sunk 60 Iranian vessels in March 2026, and later claims said more than 100 Iranian naval vessels had been sunk, but those figures are not the same as an independently verified count of confirmed sinkings in the Strait of Hormuz.

What is confirmed

  • One report says the U.S. military said it had sunk 60 Iranian vessels by March 11, 2026.
  • Another report says Adm. Brad Cooper said more than 100 Iranian vessels had been sunk by March 16, 2026.
  • Separate reporting also described 16 mine-laying ships sunk in one operation.

Important caveat

These are military claims and news reports , not a clean public ledger of every ship sunk in the Strait of Hormuz. Some reports also mix together ships that were hit, damaged, mission-killed, or sunk , so the exact confirmed number is unclear.

Plain answer

If you want the shortest answer: public reports in March 2026 said Iran had lost at least 60 vessels, and later claims raised that to more than 100, but the exact verified total is uncertain.

TL;DR: public reporting points to 60+ , with some claims of 100+ , but not a fully verified official count.