Iran begins laying mines in Strait of Hormuz, sources say

[NickB79]

Source: CNN

Iran has begun laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important energy chokepoint that carries about one-fifth of all crude oil, according to two people familiar with US intelligence reporting on the issue.

The mining is not extensive yet, with a few dozen having been laid in recent days, the sources said. But Iran still retains upward of 80% to 90% of its small boats and mine layers, one of the sources said, so its forces could feasibly lay hundreds of mines in the waterway.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which now effectively controls the strait along with Iran’s traditional navy, has the capability to deploy a “gauntlet” of dispersed mine-laying craft, explosive-laden boats and shore-based missile batteries, CNN has reported.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/10/politics/iran-begins-laying-mines-in-strait-of-hormuz

---

Looks like Iran is serious about closing Hormuz.

[Bread and Circuses]

1. Mine Palm Beach !

[UpInArms]

2. But the great orange anus mouth said

HE was going to take control of the Strait of Hormuz

[Probatim]

11. I thought we destroyed their navy?

Could dear leader have been wrong? /s

[bluedigger]

3. Nobody could have predicted that.

Once you start bombing their oil facilities, Iran doesn't really need it.

[paleotn]

4. That's the thing about existential threats like regime change....

The party being threatened has nothing to lose going all out to retain their position. And precisely the reason they want nuclear weapons. Just ask Kim. They're the ultimate insurance against regime change. When Shitler tires of this and moves on, Iran will crash course functional nukes and delivery systems. There will be no regime change since that takes a step Shitler can't make and he knows it. Full invasion. And no, we're not going into a country nearly the size of Western Europe and spirit away the 440 kg of enriched material, wherever the hell it might be hiding. Even the US doesn't have that level of capabilities.

[BeyondGeography]

5. This oughta strike mortal fear into their hearts

President Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Tuesday that “if Iran has put out any mines in the Hormuz Strait, and we have no reports of them doing so, we want them removed, IMMEDIATELY!”

[blue-wave]

6. Looks like

This is working out well for the republicans.

[OC375]

7. Navy is good at minesweeping

At least 15 of the littoral combat ships are minesweepers by now, and they have underwater drones that do a lot of the work. Then there's the aircraft capability which I think everyone in NATO has...

If true it's going to be more bad PR for Iran, and probably more ammunition for someone to push for a permanent naval force of some sort "running" Hormuz.

[70sEraVet]

10. I didn't know about underwater drones!

Cheap to manufacture, cheaper to operate, and no service personnel
injured.
That's good news, but there are still a number of options for the Iraqis to close the strait.

[blue-wave]

15. It's not just mines we have to worry about

There are such things as shoulder launched anti-ship missiles. It's unknown if Iran has any of these and their range is short, about 5 miles max. But it is known that Iran has what they call the NOOR missile. The NOOR has various models with various ranges that max out at 190 miles. They also can be launched from various platforms, including ships, ground launchers, and aircraft.

So Iran mines the strait and then uses the NOOR to "enforce" their closure of the strait.

As many experts have been saying, starting a conflict with Iran was never going to be easy. We'll just have to wait and see where it goes from here.

[OC375]

18. A long road ahead

Realistically, no one will allow people to shoot at tankers or navies, and close the strait until “Israel is disarmed”. For better or worse, the world will run much differently after all this, I think. Civilization is a tricky thing to sustain, and keep static, historically.

[ananda]

8. Oh, isn't this going to be a fun war?

Wheee

[democratsruletheday]

9. didn't you hear? It's all but over, per Trumpler

nothing to see. OVAH!

[Martin68]

12. A cheap way to raise the price of oil worldwide. I wonder why the Trump regime didn't consider this possibility?

[WestMichRad]

16. And they don't even have to actually lay the mines.

Just saying that they did will keep cargo shipping through the strait at zero.

[OC375]

20. Join another loyalty club?

I'm starting to get the idea the intent is to get the ME gas station franchise to be the more dangerous one to shop at. Ya know? In the bad part of town...

Might even need to saturate the area with cops and checkpoints. To ensure safety, of course, and scare off... well, everyone you can.

Why fill up there when there are pricier, but less risky, less hassle gas stations on the other side of the planet? (cough, cough VZ, US, etc...)

[Aussie105]

13. Iran is thinking logically to force the issue.

Trump has no war plan, and no logical thinking skills.
And no exit plan.
And no one whispering in his ear that this is Not Good.

If Trump says' We Won!' don't believe him, Al Jazeera is about the only broadcaster reporting life from the Middle East, and the not-war is in full operation.

Beirut just copped another blast, a residential building block.

[jfz9580m]

17. True..Not Good.nt

[blue-wave]

14. It is my understanding

that Iran has around 6,000 mines they can deploy. That would effectively block the whole strait.

[OC375]

19. Oil from elsewhere will be in demand

And NATO will be gatekeeper of the ME for the foreseeable future… So, where’s the rest of the oil, and who’s already set up to export globally?