Iran Moves to Weaponize Strait of Hormuz with Naval Mines : US Official

Amid escalating tensions with Israel and the West, Iran has reportedly loaded naval mines onto vessels in the Persian Gulf, triggering fresh concerns in Washington about the possibility of Tehran attempting to disrupt or close the Strait of Hormuz — one of the world’s most critical oil and gas shipping lanes. According to U.S. officials familiar with classified intelligence, this activity took place shortly after Israel’s missile strike on Iran on June 13.

While the mines have not been deployed in the waterway itself, their presence suggests that Iran may have seriously considered taking steps to blockade the strait — a move that would send shockwaves through global energy markets. U.S. intelligence, likely gathered through satellite monitoring and human sources, indicated the loading of the mines, although it is unclear whether they have since been removed.

The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow 34-kilometer-wide channel between Iran and Oman, is the gateway through which nearly 20% of the world’s oil and gas supplies travel. Even a temporary disruption could lead to a spike in fuel prices and destabilize shipping routes. The channel is only about 21 miles (34 km) wide at its narrowest point, with two-mile-wide lanes for inbound and outbound traffic. Any mining of these lanes would severely affect global supply chains.

Following the U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear infrastructure on June 22, the Iranian parliament passed a non-binding resolution to block the Strait of Hormuz. While symbolic, the decision highlighted Iran’s readiness to use its geography as a strategic tool. Actual authority to shut the strait lies with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, not parliament. Though Iran has often threatened to close the strait over the years, it has never acted on those threats.

A White House official credited the Biden administration’s strategic and military responses — including Operation Midnight Hammer and pressure campaigns against Iran and Houthi militias — for keeping the strait open and ensuring freedom of navigation.

The U.S. military remains on high alert in the region. The U.S. Fifth Fleet, based in Bahrain, is responsible for maritime security in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz. Interestingly, mine countermeasure ships were temporarily withdrawn from Bahrain prior to the June strikes, as a precaution against Iranian retaliation. This suggests that Washington anticipated an Iranian response involving naval mines, which remain one of Tehran’s key asymmetric naval tools.

Iran is estimated to possess more than 5,000 naval mines, according to U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency reports from 2019. These mines can be deployed via high-speed boats or disguised civilian vessels and come in various types — including moored, drifting, and bottom influence mines triggered by magnetic, acoustic, or pressure signatures. Their use in a confined waterway like the Strait of Hormuz could halt or reroute commercial shipping, affecting oil exporters like Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Iraq, and Qatar, and ironically, even Iran itself.

Despite Iran’s military posture, oil markets have shown resilience. Prices have actually declined more than 10% since the U.S. strikes, likely because no actual shipping disruption has occurred so far. Still, U.S. officials caution that the situation remains fluid, and further Iranian retaliation is possible, especially if tensions with Israel continue to escalate.

While no mines have yet been deployed and the strait remains open, Iran’s mine-loading activity serves as a stark reminder of how quickly the region can edge toward a maritime crisis — one that could ripple far beyond the Middle East.