Naval mines reported in the Strait of Hormuz as Trump threatens US retaliation

CNN reports Iranian forces may have begun laying mines in the strategic oil route. The US president warns of severe military consequences if the devices are not removed.

Reports that Iranian forces have begun laying naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz have heightened tensions in the Gulf and raised fears of a further escalation in the conflict. According to CNN, the operation may already be under way in the narrow waterway that carries roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supplies.

The prospect of Iran laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz has immediately unsettled energy markets. Oil prices have risen amid concerns that any disruption to shipping through the strategic corridor could quickly affect global supply and fuel costs.

Sources cited by the US network say dozens of mines may have been positioned in recent days. The activity has not yet reached a scale capable of completely blocking the passage, but even limited deployments could turn the route into a serious hazard for commercial vessels.

Despite recent American strikes targeting Iranian naval assets, Tehran is believed to retain most of its operational capacity at sea. Estimates indicate that between 80 and 90 per cent of the small boats and minelaying craft available to Iranian forces remain intact. These vessels are typically operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the unit responsible for overseeing security in the strait.

In previous statements, the Revolutionary Guards warned that oil tankers crossing the area could be attacked. Since the start of the conflict, maritime traffic through the strait has effectively come to a halt. On Tuesday, US officials also denied reports suggesting that a tanker had been escorted through the corridor by American forces, indicating that navigation in the area remains largely suspended.

The reports that Iran laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz may be under way prompted a sharp response from US President Donald Trump. Writing on the Truth platform, he demanded that any devices placed in the waterway be removed immediately.

“If Iran has placed mines in the Strait of Hormuz and we have not been informed, we want them removed straight away,” the president wrote.

Trump had already warned on Monday that any attempt to block the vital shipping lane would trigger a forceful American response. The possibility that Iran laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz is now taking place appears to have deepened the standoff between Washington and Tehran.

“If for any reason mines have been laid and they are not removed immediately, the military consequences for Iran will be at a level never seen before,” Trump said. He added that removing the devices would represent a significant step towards reducing tensions.

The president also said US forces were deploying technologies and missile systems previously used against drug-trafficking vessels in order to detect and neutralise any boats attempting to mine the passage. “We will deal with it quickly and relentlessly,” he wrote.

According to Trump, military action may already have begun. In the same message he said that American forces had struck and destroyed ten minelaying vessels in recent hours, describing them as not operational at the time.

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