Iran Was Prepared to Lay Mines in the Strait of Hormuz as the Iran-Israel Conflict Erupted

According to a report by Jinse Finance, two U.S. officials have revealed that last month, the Iranian military loaded naval mines onto vessels in the Persian Gulf, preparing to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz. This previously unreported preparation was detected by U.S. intelligence agencies. They stated that Iran initiated these actions shortly after Israel launched its first round of missile strikes against Iran on June 13. Although the mines have not yet been deployed in the Strait of Hormuz, the act of loading them suggests that Tehran may indeed be seriously considering closing one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. If carried out, this move would further escalate the already intensifying conflict and severely disrupt global trade. It is currently unclear whether the mines have since been unloaded. The sources did not disclose how the U.S. determined that Iranian vessels were carrying mines, but such intelligence is typically gathered through satellite imagery, covert human intelligence, or a combination of both.