Iran Reportedly Made Plans To Litter Strait Of Hormuz With Naval Mines

The US launched "Operation Midnight Hammer" on June 22, deploying stealth bombers to strike Iran's nuclear facilities. In retaliation, Iran's parliament voted to authorize the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime chokepoint. Any move by Iran to close the waterway would disrupt nearly one-fifth of the world's oil shipments and trigger substantial economic harm worldwide. However, Iran's threats ultimately fell short, and Brent crude futures returned to the $67-a-barrel level. Iran has several military and asymmetric tools at its disposal to disrupt or close the Strait of Hormuz, including naval mines, fast attack boats, and anti-ship missiles. During Operation Midnight Hammer, widespread GPS interference was reported across the Strait of Hormuz, causing a slowdown in tanker traffic. A new Reuters report reveals that US intelligence indicated Tehran was preparing to blockade the Strait of Hormuz using naval mines. The mines were loaded onto Iranian vessels but not deployed, suggesting Tehran may have been serious about closing the shipping lane. It is unclear if the mines have since been unloaded, and the US government has not ruled out the possibility that loading the mines was a ruse. The Israel-Iran air war and Tehran's threat to close the Strait of Hormuz appear to have had limited lasting impact on global oil markets.