Iran has deployed about a dozen mines in the Strait of Hormuz, two sources familiar with the matter said, in a move likely to complicate the reopening of the narrow waterway through which roughly a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes.
Exports through the strategic chokepoint have effectively been halted since the United States and Israel launched their war against Iran 12 days ago, helping to drive a surge in world energy prices. Iran’s military command said on Wednesday the world should be prepared for oil to hit $200 a barrel.
One source said the mines were deployed “in the last few days” and that most of their locations were known, but declined to say how Washington planned to deal with them. CNN first reported the mining of the strait on Tuesday.
The US military said it had targeted Iranian mine-laying vessels, eliminating 16 of them on Tuesday. However, the US Navy has so far declined to provide protective escorts to commercial ships passing through the strait.
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday demanded that Iran immediately remove any mines and warned it would face military consequences if it failed to do so.
Iran has long threatened to mine the strait in retaliation for any military attack. The waterway runs along Iran’s coast and Tehran’s ability to choke off shipping through it gives it significant leverage over the US and its allies.
(Reuters)
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