Washington — Iran may be getting ready to deploy naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz in an effort to further disrupt the key shipping lane, U.S. officials told CBS News.
The American officials said Iran is using smaller crafts that can carry two to three mines each to lay them into the strait. While Iran’s mine stock isn’t publicly known, estimates over the years have ranged from roughly 2,000 to 6,000 naval mines largely produced by Iran, China or Russia. The officials spoke to CBS News on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly to the press.
On Monday, President Trump warned Iran of the consequences of stopping the flow of commercial ship traffic in the Strait.
“If Iran does anything that stops the flow of oil within the Strait of Hormuz, they will be hit by the United States of America twenty times harder than they have been hit thus far,” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social.
In a press conference at the Pentagon on Tuesday morning, Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations against Iran, continues to hunt and strike “mine-laying vessels” and “mine storage facilities.”
At the mouth of the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints. Oil tankers carrying crude from countries including Saudi Arabia, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates must pass through the narrow waterway to reach global markets, making the strait essential to the steady flow of energy, with 20% of the global oil supply passing through the strait.
Even small disruptions in the strait can have a ripple effect on oil prices and the global economy.
During the “Tanker War,” which was part of the larger Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s, Iran routinely placed naval mines along the major shipping routes used by oil tankers. Last year, Reuters reported that the Iranian military loaded naval mines onto vessels in the Persian Gulf, which ramped up tensions between Washington and Tehran, following Israel’s air operation against Iran during the 12-Day War.
As war continues, major maritime insurers have pulled back. NorthStandard, the London P&I Club and the American Club have warned they will suspend coverage for ships operating in Iranian waters and parts of the Gulf, citing the rising risk that vessels could be caught in the conflict, according to CBS News reporting last week.