Iran was already prepared to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz at the outbreak of the conflict between Israel and Iran.

On July 2, Jin10 news reported that two U.S. officials revealed that the Iranian military loaded mines onto vessels in the Persian Gulf last month and is prepared to lay them in the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. intelligence detected this previously unreported preparatory action. They stated that shortly after Israel launched the first missile strike against Iran on June 13, Iran began related actions. Although these mines have not yet been deployed in the Strait of Hormuz, the act of loading mines indicates that Tehran may indeed be seriously considering closing one of the world’s busiest waterways. If implemented, this move would further escalate the already intensifying conflict and severely hinder global trade. It is also unclear whether these mines have been unloaded. Sources did not disclose how the U.S. determined that Iranian vessels were carrying mines, but such intelligence is usually gathered through satellite imagery, clandestine human intelligence, or a combination of both.