Iran Claims New Naval Mines Deployed in Strait of Hormuz Amid US Tensions
- Iran has deployed additional naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a statement from the Iranian military on September 3, 2026.
- Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesperson for Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya General Headquarters, announced that naval mines were placed during an operation on the night of September 2, 2026.
- The Iranian government has declined to disclose the exact coordinates of the minefields.
Iran has deployed additional naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a statement from the Iranian military on September 3, 2026. The move follows claims from the United States that the strategic waterway had been cleared of such hazards, escalating tensions between Tehran and Washington over control of the global shipping lane.
Iran Deploys New Mines in Southern Strait of Hormuz
Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesperson for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya General Headquarters, announced that naval mines were placed during an operation on the night of September 2, 2026. According to Zolfaghari, who posted the update on the social media platform X, the mines were positioned along what he described as an illegal route in the southern portion of the Strait of Hormuz.
The Iranian government has declined to disclose the exact coordinates of the minefields. Tehran stated that only Iranian forces possess the precise locations of the newly deployed mines. The total number of mines placed during the September 2 operation has not been released, according to reports from beritasatu.com and idxchannel.com.
U.S. Military Denies Mine Reports and Warns Iran
The deployment contradicts recent assertions by the United States. U.S. Central Command (Centcom), which manages Washington’s military operations in the Middle East, previously stated that all naval mines had been cleared from the transit lanes in the Strait of Hormuz, as reported by beritasatu.com.
President Donald Trump stated that the strait had been cleared of mines that endangered shipping vessels. Trump warned Iran that the U.S. would implement a zero-tolerance policy regarding any new attempts to plant mines in the waterway, according to beritasatu.com.
The U.S. military has also dismissed reports of tankers striking mines, characterizing such claims as disinformation, according to beritasatu.com.
Rhetorical Escalation Between Tehran and Washington
The military deployment coincided with a public exchange regarding the naming of the waterway. Zolfaghari mocked a proposal by President Trump to rename the Strait of Hormuz to the “Trump Strait,” calling the suggestion evidence of Washington’s desperation, according to idxchannel.com.
Zolfaghari claimed that the only way Centcom could achieve such a change is through the use of Photoshop. He further suggested that the U.S. could use image editing software to create the illusion that oil tankers are safely passing through the strait, according to reports from beritasatu.com and idxchannel.com.
Reports of Tanker Attacks in the Strait
The claims of new mine deployments follow several reports of maritime violence in the region. Reports from Suara.com and iNews.ID indicate that two Saudi Arabian supertankers exploded and caught fire after hitting mines. Additionally, Pluang reported that a tanker was struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to Suara.com, two Filipino crew members died following an attack on a Saudi Arabian tanker in the strait. Saudi Arabia has formally condemned the attacks on the two supertankers, according to idnfinancials.com.