Iran has reportedly commenced deploying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, the planet’s most crucial energy passage through which approximately one-fifth of all crude oil flows, according to two individuals privy to US intelligence reports on the matter.
The mining operations are not yet extensive, with only a few dozen mines having been laid in recent days, the sources indicated. However, Iran still possesses 80% to 90% of its small watercraft and mine-laying assets, one source highlighted, suggesting its forces could potentially deploy hundreds of mines within the waterway.
As CNN has reported, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which now effectively governs the strait alongside Iran’s conventional navy, is capable of deploying a “gauntlet” consisting of scattered mine-laying craft, explosive-laden vessels, and shore-based missile batteries.
President Donald Trump announced in a Truth Social post on Tuesday that “if Iran has deployed any mines in the Hormuz Strait, and we have no information confirming this, we demand their immediate removal!”
He further stated that if mines were placed and not subsequently removed, Iran would face repercussions “at a level never before witnessed.” Yet, he added that if Tehran were to withdraw “what may have been deployed, it would represent a significant step in the right direction!”
Following Trump’s declaration, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth shared on X that, under Trump’s directive, US Central Command “has been neutralizing inactive mine-laying vessels in the Strait of Hormuz—eliminating them with precise force. We will not allow terrorists to compromise the Strait of Hormuz.”
US Central Command later stated in a social media update on Tuesday that military forces had destroyed multiple Iranian naval ships, including 16 minelayers, near the Strait of Hormuz.
A video released by CENTCOM depicts US forces engaged in the destruction of Iranian naval vessels and minelayers near the Strait of Hormuz.
The IRGC had previously warned that any vessel traversing the strait would be attacked, and the channel has remained largely inaccessible since the war’s commencement. The strait’s current condition has been characterized to CNN as a “death valley” due to the significant transit risks.
US officials stated on Tuesday that the US Navy had not escorted any vessels through the strait, although Trump indicated on Monday that his administration was exploring options to do so.
Trump also affirmed during a Monday press conference that “the Strait of Hormuz will remain secure. We have a considerable number of Navy ships stationed there. We possess the world’s most advanced equipment for mine inspection.”
Nearly 15 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil production, along with an additional 4.5 million bpd of refined fuels, are now effectively trapped in the Gulf, as CNN reported, and producers like Iraq and Kuwait have no alternative routes for shipping oil other than through Hormuz. The G7 group of major economies has hinted at potential moves to release more oil to mitigate the shortages.
The uncertainty surrounding the ability to transport oil through the waterway appeared to be causing substantial volatility in the crude oil market on Tuesday, with per-barrel prices dramatically fluctuating between more than $90 and less than $80 in a series of sharp increases and decreases.
This report now includes further updates.