Why the world can’t ignore Iran’s threat to mine the Strait of Hormuz
- Rajesh SharmaArun George
- TNNUpdated: Mar 25, 2026, 20:36 IST IST
After the start of the war against Iran on February 28 and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, one persistent worry for US-Israel and all the other Gulf nations is Iran’s threat to deploy mines along the critical maritime route. The US and Israel have struck at multiple Iranian vessels that could be used to lay mines, even as there’s little confirmation of the presence of marine mines being used.
However, the threat remains one of the biggest for the region and Iran reminded its adversaries of the risk as recently as March 23. Iran’s defence council said it could mine “all access routes and communications lines in the Persian Gulf and coastal areas” and threatened to use “drifting mines deployable from the coasts” if the country's coastlines or islands were attacked.
However, the threat remains one of the biggest for the region and Iran reminded its adversaries of the risk as recently as March 23. Iran’s defence council said it could mine “all access routes and communications lines in the Persian Gulf and coastal areas” and threatened to use “drifting mines deployable from the coasts” if the country's coastlines or islands were attacked.
