Iran has begun laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important energy hub through which about a fifth of all crude oil is transported, according to two people familiar with US intelligence reports on the matter.
Sources state that the demining is not yet extensive, given that several dozen mines have been laid in recent days. However, Iran still retains over 80 to 90 percent of its small ships and minesweepers, one of the sources said, so its forces could realistically place hundreds of mines in the waterway.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which now effectively controls the strait alongside Iran’s traditional navy, has the ability to deploy a “network” of dispersed mine-laying vessels, boats loaded with explosives and missile batteries ashore, CNN reports.
The IRGC had previously warned that any ship passing through the strait would be attacked, and the canal has been effectively closed since the start of the war. The state of the strait has been described by CNN as a “valley of death” given the risks associated with transit.
U.S. officials said today that the U.S. Navy has not escorted any ships through the strait, although President Donald Trump said Monday that his administration was considering options to do so.
(Vijesti.ba)
