Two sources with direct knowledge of the matter told officials that Iran has deployed about a dozen naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow maritime channel that is a vital artery for global oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments. The placement of these mines is likely to complicate efforts to reopen the passage.
According to the same sources, the locations of most of the mines are known, though one source declined to discuss how the United States plans to neutralize them. The mining was first reported on Tuesday by CNN.
Exports of oil and LNG through the Strait of Hormuz have effectively been halted as a result of the war launched 12 days ago by the United States and Israel, contributing to a sharp rise in global energy prices. Iran's military command on Wednesday warned that market prices should be prepared for oil to reach $200 a barrel.
The strategic significance of the channel is profound: roughly one-fifth of global oil and LNG normally transits the strait, and Tehran's demonstrated capacity to block shipping gives it substantial leverage over the United States and its allies.
The U.S. military has said it targeted vessels involved in laying mines and that it eliminated 16 such vessels on Tuesday. Despite these strikes, the U.S. Navy has so far declined to offer protective escorts for commercial shipping through the strait.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday demanded that Iran immediately remove any mines it had placed in the strait. He warned that Iran would face unspecified military consequences if it did not comply.
This development underscores the interplay between maritime security and global energy flows. The presence of mines in a key chokepoint presents immediate operational hazards for commercial shipping, and the effective stoppage of exports through this route is already reflected in rising world energy prices.
Several details remain limited to the information provided by the two sources and statements from military and political officials; those limitations are reflected in the accounts above.