Iran deploys mines in Strait of Hormuz, sources tell Reuters

Iran has deployed around a dozen naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, potentially complicating efforts to reopen the crucial shipping route, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters, corroborating earlier reporting by CNN. 

The strategic waterway, through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes, has effectively been shut to exports since the war between the US, Israel and Iran began nearly two weeks ago.

According to the sources cited by Reuters, the locations of most of the mines are known, though it remains unclear how the US plans to deal with them. Iran has long warned it could mine the strait in response to military attacks, a move that could give Tehran significant leverage over global energy markets.

The US military has targeted Iranian mine-laying vessels, destroying 16 earlier this week. President Donald Trump has demanded that Iran remove any mines from the strait immediately, warning there would be military consequences if it does not.