כיכר השבת

Iran Planned to Mine the Strait of Hormu

Iran loaded naval mines onto vessels in the Persian Gulf last month, raising U.S. concerns that Tehran was preparing to block the Strait of Hormuz after Israel’s strikes on Iranian sites, two U.S. officials told Reuters. The previously unreported move, detected by U.S. intelligence post Israel’s June 13 missile attack, could have disrupted one-fifth of global oil and gas shipments, spiking energy prices.Reportedly, Iran decided not to deploy the mines after Khamenei disappeared.The mines may have been a strategic ploy or a precaution, as Iran’s parliament backed a non-binding measure to close the strait on June 22. The Strait of Hormuz remains open, with no confirmed unloading of the mines. The White House credited its “Operation Midnight Hammer” and pressure campaigns for maintaining navigation. The Pentagon and Iran’s U.N. mission did not respond to requests for comment. (Reuters)