Iran plotted to lay mines in Strait of Hormuz, say US officials

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Last month, the Iranian military had laid down naval land mines on ships in the Persian Gulf, two US officials said that Tehran was ready to stop the Strait of Hormuz in response to Israeli strikes inside Iran.

Officials said that the previously reported preparations, which were found by the US Intelligence, occurred shortly after the launch of its initial missile attack against Iran on June 13, which requested not to discuss sensitive intelligence issues.

Loading of mines, which is not deployed in the Strait, suggests that Tehran may be serious about closing one of the world’s most busy shipping streets, a move that already increases a separate conflict and affects global trade.

Almost fifth of the global oil and gas shipment passes through the Strait Harmos, and potentially increases global energy prices.

After the US invasion of Iran’s nuclear facilities, global benchmark oil prices have fallen by more than 10 %, which has been relieved by ALSE, that the conflict did not give rise to significant barriers to oil trade.

On June 22, the United States immediately after the bombing of Iran’s three key nuclear locations to disability Tehran’s nuclear program, the Iranian parliament allegedly supported a move to stop the strait.

Iran’s Press TV said at the time, the decision was not bound, and it was dependent on Iran’s Supreme National Security Council to make a final decision when it was closed. Iran has threatened to close the Strait in the past years, but that danger has never been implemented.

Reuters was unable to determine it properly when Tehran was filled with mines during the Israeli-Iranian war, which, if deployed, would effectively prevent ships from crossing the key path.

It is also unclear whether mines have been taken off.

Sources did not reveal how the United States has determined that mines were placed on Iranian utensils, but such intelligence is usually collected through a satellite imagery, secret human means or combination of both methods.

To comment on Iran’s preparations, a White House official said: “The president’s operation has been opened with a successful midnight hammer, a successful campaign against the Houthis, and the maximum pressure campaign, the Strait of Hormuz has been opened, the navigation has been restored and the liberation of Iran has been restored.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request to comment. The Iranian mission in the United Nations also did not respond to requests for comment.

Key path

The two officials said the US government did not dismiss the possibility that loading mines was a misery. Officials said Iranian could have prepared mines to convince Washington that Tehran was serious about closing the Strait, but without intended to do so.

If Iranian leaders ordered, the Iranian army could have made just the necessary preparations.

The Strait of Hormuz is located between Oman and Iran, and the Persian Gulf connects the Persian Gulf to the south and beyond the Arabian Sea.

It is 21 miles (34 km) wide in its tight location, with the shipping lane only 2 miles wide in any direction.

Members of OPEC, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq, are primarily exporting to Asia through most of their raw stranges. Qatar, one of the world’s largest liquid natural gas exporters, sends almost all of its LNGs through the Strait.

Iran also exports most of its raw through the passage, which, in theory, restricts Tehran’s appetite for shutting down the Strait. But Tehran has dedicated important resources to ensure that it can do so if it is necessary.

By 2019, Iran retained more than 5,000 naval mines, which the then US Defense Intelligence Agency said, with the help of small, high -speed boats, could be deployed.

The fifth US fleet, based in Bahrain, has been accused of protecting trade in the region. The US Navy has generally placed four miners in Bahrain, Messer Vesals, or MCM utensils, although the ships are replaced by another type of vessel called the Litual Fighter, or LCS, which also has anti -mine capabilities.

All anti -mine ships were temporarily removed from Bahrain in the days that reached US attacks on Iran in the fifth flat headquarters.

Finally, Iran’s immediate retaliation was limited to a missile attack on a US military base in a nearby Qatar.

However, US officials have not further rejected Iran’s retaliation.