By Ian Werther in News — 14 Mar 2026

Iran May Be Laying Mines in Strait of Hormuz, Risking Global Oil Supply

With the United States considering its next steps in a confrontation with Iran, attention has shifted to the Strait of Hormuz, the key waterway through which about 20% of the world’s crude oil passes. Reports have grown that Iran may have begun laying mines in the strait, raising the risk to global energy supplies.

British Defense Secretary John Healey told reporters at a British military headquarters on the 12th that “reports are becoming clearer” and that there is a high likelihood Iran has started laying mines in the Hormuz Strait. His comments come as assessments about Iran’s activities in the waterway diverge.

The narrow Strait of Hormuz lies between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, separating Iran (north) from the Arabian Peninsula (south). Only about 21 miles (34 km) wide at the narrowest point and roughly 96 miles (155 km) long, about thirty percent of the world’s seaborne oil and nearly one-quarter of the liquified natural gas (LNG) supply passes through this strait — all on shipping lanes that measure only two-mile wide. It has been estimated that 21 million barrels of oil, with a value of 1.2 billion US dollars (USD), pass through the strait every day.
On December 2, 2020, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of the Strait of Hormuz.

The arid landscape of Iran sits in the north, with Qeshm Island, the largest in the Persian Gulf, just off the Iranian coast. The tiny Strait of Khuran separates the island and the mainland and bounds a wetland of international importance, recognized by Ramsar. These wetlands provide critical habitat to two globally threatened species: the Dalmatian Pelican and the Green sea turtle. In the south, the rocky and rugged Musandam Peninsula juts into the Strait of Hormuz. The tip of the peninsula is filled by the Musandam Governate, an exclave of Oman. To the south, the land on the peninsula belongs to the United Arab Emirates. — Representative image for context; not directly related to the specific event in this article. License: Public domain. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

The Institute for the Study of War, a U.S. think tank, has previously estimated that Iran may have already laid 10 mines in the strait. President Donald Trump has questioned that assessment, arguing that crude-oil tankers and other merchant ships must pass through the strait.

U.S. Central Command said it has conducted broad preventive strikes to prevent Iran from laying mines, announcing that it destroyed more than 30 mine-laying vessels in recent actions. Washington says it is aiming to deter any escalation that could threaten shipping.

The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow passage, with the narrowest point spanning about 34 kilometers, which heightens the danger that ships could strike mines. Floating mines are difficult to remove in the midst of active hostilities, making navigation riskier for commercial vessels.

The rugged, barren mountains of the Musandam Peninsula jut into the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow throughway between Iran (north) and Oman and the United Arab Emirates (south) where the waters from the Gulf of Oman enter the Persian Gulf. Khasab, Oman, the main city sitting on the tip of the Musandam Peninsula, sits only 65 km (40 mi) from the Iranian city of Bandar Abbas. The rocky limestone mountains of the peninsula rise as high as 6,500 feet (2,000 meters) above sea level and create fjord-like inlets along the coast. Musandam is an exclave of Oman, separated from the rest of the country by the United Arab Emirates. Fishing, agriculture and ship building are the primary industries in this part of Oman.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a stunning true-color image of the Strait of Hormuz and the Musandam Peninsula on December 6, 2018. — Representative image for context; not directly related to the specific event in this article. License: Public domain. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Kaitlin Talmadge, a political science professor at MIT, told Bloomberg that mine clearance is typically feasible only in peacetime. She noted that during war, removal is extremely challenging, and ships and helicopters performing such tasks would be highly vulnerable to attack.

The broader implication for the United States and global markets is clear: any disruption to Hormuz could affect energy prices, supply chains, and the balance of security in the Gulf region. The situation illustrates how regional tensions can quickly impact international energy security and markets, beyond regional politics.

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