Experts consider naval mines Tehran\u2019s most dangerous tool. According to reports, Iran has already begun mining the Strait of Hormuz \u2014 a strategic waterway through which most Middle Eastern oil and liquefied natural gas pass.<\/p>\n
So far, only about a dozen mines have been recorded, but the potential of this weapon is enormous. Mines are an ideal instrument of asymmetric warfare: even when conventional military capabilities are neutralized, mines allow the adversary to remain under constant threat.<\/p>\n
The main danger lies in the simplicity of using this weapon. Iran does not need large ships to deploy mines \u2014 divers can do the job from ordinary fishing vessels. Tehran\u2019s arsenal includes both drifting mines and those anchored to the seabed at specific depths, remaining undetectable to tankers.<\/p>\n
Although demining methods exist, shipping through the strait becomes highly risky without a military escort. Even convoys, however, cannot guarantee 100% safety.<\/p>\n
History already knows similar incidents in the region: in the 1980s, during the Iran\u2013Iraq War, the US Navy tried to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz. At that time, a US frigate hit an Iranian mine, triggering a major military crisis.<\/p>\n
Blockade of the Strait of Hormuz<\/p>\n
Following rumors in the media that Iran had mined<\/a> the Strait of Hormuz, Washington reacted sharply. US President Donald Trump warned<\/a> of serious consequences for Tehran if the reports were true.<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s blockade of the Strait has already reduced maritime traffic by 70% and caused a shortage of sulfur\u2014a key raw material for fertilizers, microchips, and metallurgy. In other words, the disruption affects not only oil supplies.<\/p>\n