Iran deploys more mines in the Strait of Hormuz, sources say
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy laid more mines in the Strait of Hormuz this week, according to a U.S. official and a source with knowledge of the issue.
Why it matters: The military standoff in the world’s most important oil chokepoint is escalating, with Iran laying mines and attacking commercial ships on one side and the U.S. tightening its naval blockade on the other.
- After being briefed on the new developments, President Trump ordered the U.S. Navy on Truth Social on Thursday to “shoot and kill” any Iranian boats laying mines with “no hesitation.”
The big picture: New mines in the strait could deepen what the International Energy Agency has already called the largest oil supply disruption in the history of the global market — bigger than the 1970s oil shocks.
- Roughly 20% of the world’s seaborne oil passes through the strait in peacetime. Traffic has collapsed to single digits on most days, down from more than 100 ships daily.
- This is the second time Iran has mined the strait since the war began. It remains unclear whether all the mines from the first round have been found and cleared.