The situation in the Strait of Hormuz is escalating dangerously, as U.S. intelligence services have identified movements suggesting that Iran may be deploying sea mines, while Iranian officials warn that any American or allied vessel attempting to pass through the strait will become a “moving target.”
According to two sources familiar with U.S. intelligence reports, cited by CNN and CBS News, Iran has begun placing mines in this critical maritime route, through which about one-fifth of global oil trade passes. So far, the deployment appears limited, with several dozen mines reportedly placed in recent days.
However, Iran still maintains significant capacity to escalate the operation. One source stated that Iranian forces retain around 80–90% of their small vessels and other mine-laying platforms, meaning they could deploy hundreds of mines at any moment.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which controls the strait together with Iran’s conventional navy, could establish a broad network of attacks using dispersed vessels to deploy explosive mines, alongside coastal rocket batteries. Reports indicate that Iran’s mines are of Iranian, Chinese, and Russian origin, with an estimated stockpile of 2,000 to 6,000 units, according to CBS.
Since tensions began rising, the strait is considered virtually closed to navigation, with sources speaking to CNN describing the area as a “valley of death” for any ship attempting to pass through.
In a recent post on Truth Social, U.S. President Donald Trump said there are no confirmed reports yet that Iran has deployed mines.
“If Iran has placed mines in the Strait of Hormuz — we have no reports confirming that this has happened — we want them removed immediately,” he wrote.
Trump warned that if the mines are not removed promptly, “the military consequences for Iran will be on a level never seen before.” He added that if the mines are removed, “that would be a giant step in the right direction.”
Shortly afterward, he also announced that U.S. forces had completely destroyed ten Iranian mine-laying vessels, which were reportedly inactive at the moment of the strike.
Meanwhile, Alireza Tangsiri, commander of the IRGC Navy, denied reports that an oil tanker had been escorted by American ships.
“Any passage of the U.S. fleet and its allies will be stopped by Iranian missiles and drones,” he declared.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, on the other hand, accused the United States of spreading false news to manipulate markets, adding that such actions would not protect Americans from the “inflation tsunami” they have caused.
He stated that global markets are now facing “the greatest shortage in history — larger than the Arab oil embargo, the Islamic Revolution in Iran, and the invasion of Kuwait combined.”
