Iran lays mines in Strait of Hormuz; U.S. says it struck Iranian minelayers as oil prices whipsaw
Iran has begun laying naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most critical energy chokepoint, according to two people familiar with U.S. intelligence. The move escalates a high-stakes standoff in a waterway that carries roughly one-fifth of global crude oil and has already been largely closed to commercial traffic amid the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran.
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The mining remains limited for now — a few dozen mines have been placed in recent days — but Iran retains 80% to 90% of its small boats and minelaying craft, one of the sources said, suggesting it could seed the narrow channel with hundreds more. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which shares effective control of the strait with Iran’s conventional navy, has the capacity to field a “gauntlet” of dispersed minelayers, explosive-laden boats and shore-based missile batteries, CNN has reported.
President Donald Trump, in a post on Truth Social on Tuesday, demanded that “if Iran has put out any mines in the Hormuz Strait, and we have no reports of them doing so, we want them removed, IMMEDIATELY!” He warned that if mines are confirmed and not lifted, Iran would face consequences “at a level never before seen,” while adding that prompt removal “will be a giant step in the right direction!”
Soon after, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth posted on X that, at Trump’s direction, U.S. Central Command had been “eliminating inactive mine-laying vessels in the Strait of Hormuz—wiping them out with ruthless precision. We will not allow terrorists to hold the Strait of Hormuz hostage.” U.S. Central Command later said in a social media post that U.S. forces destroyed multiple Iranian naval vessels — including 16 minelayers — near the strait.
The IRGC has previously warned that any ship transiting the strait would be attacked, and the channel has been effectively closed since the conflict began. A U.S. official described the corridor to CNN as a “death valley” for commercial shipping given layered threats from mines, fast-attack craft and coastal missiles. As of Tuesday, the U.S. Navy had not escorted any tankers or cargo ships through the passage, U.S. officials said, though Trump signaled Monday that his administration was weighing options to do so.
“The Strait of Hormuz is going to remain safe,” Trump told reporters Monday, saying “we have a lot of Navy ships there” and “the best equipment in the world” to detect and counter mines.
The stakes are global. Nearly 15 million barrels per day of crude production — along with an additional 4.5 million barrels per day of refined fuels — are effectively stranded inside the Persian Gulf, CNN has reported. Producers such as Iraq and Kuwait have no viable alternatives to Hormuz for most exports. The Group of Seven industrialized economies has hinted it could release additional oil to cushion shortages if needed.
Uncertainty over whether oil can safely move through the strait roiled markets Tuesday. Benchmark crude futures swung in a series of sharp intraday moves, with prices spiking above $90 per barrel before dropping below $80, reflecting investor whiplash over competing military claims and the pace of any demining or convoy operations.
The mine threat compounds a risk matrix already dense with hazards. Experts say even a limited mining campaign can halt tanker traffic: Mines are cheap, hard to detect and disproportionately effective in confined waters. Clearing them is slow, specialized work that often requires mine-hunting ships, helicopters, divers and unmanned systems — and still exposes crews to danger from shore-based missiles and small, explosive boats.
What happens next hinges on whether Iran accelerates mining and on how quickly the U.S. and partners can degrade Iran’s capacity while safeguarding a shipping lane only about 21 miles across at its narrowest point. A formal decision to begin U.S.-escorted convoys would mark a major operational shift and could shorten timelines to restore limited traffic, but would also raise the risk of direct confrontation at sea and along Iran’s coast.
This is a developing story. It will be updated as more information becomes available.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
