Charts indicate Iran may have put sea mines in Strait of Hormuz: Report
Semi-official Iranian agencies on Thursday released charts suggesting the Revolutionary Guard laid sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz during the war.
Amid a shaky ceasefire, reports of potential sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz have emerged, said to have been published in a chart released by Iran. The waterway has been facing disruptions since the beginning of the Iran-US war.
According to news agency AP, semi-official Iranian news agencies released charts on Thursday suggesting the country's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard put sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz during the war.
Iran recently closed the Strait of Hormuz again in response to Israeli attacks against the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon, news agency AP reported.
The charts, published by ISNA and Tasnim, showed the marked zone over the Traffic Separation Scheme, the route commonly used by ships passing through the strait.They displayed a large circle labeled “danger zone” in Farsi over the Traffic Separation Scheme.
The waterway connects the Persian Gulf to open seas and has historically carried around 20% of global oil and gas trade.
The maps suggested that vessels take an alternative route further north, closer to Iran’s mainland near Larak Island. Some ships were observed using this route during the recent conflict.
US President Donald Trump said American forces would remain deployed near Iran.
{{/usCountry}}US President Donald Trump said American forces would remain deployed near Iran.
{{/usCountry}}In a statement on Truth Social, he said the deployment would continue “until such time as the REAL AGREEMENT reached is fully complied with.”
{{/usCountry}}In a statement on Truth Social, he said the deployment would continue “until such time as the REAL AGREEMENT reached is fully complied with.”
{{/usCountry}}He added, "If for any reason it is not, which is highly unlikely, then the Shootin' Starts,' bigger, and better, and stronger than anyone has ever seen before,"
{{/usCountry}}He added, "If for any reason it is not, which is highly unlikely, then the Shootin' Starts,' bigger, and better, and stronger than anyone has ever seen before,"
{{/usCountry}}Also read | India welcomes US-Iran ceasefire, calls for free navigation through Hormuz
Trump also said Iran would not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons and that “the Strait of Hormuz WILL BE OPEN & SAFE.”
Strikes continue after ceasefire
Despite the ceasefire announcement, drones and missiles were reported to have struck Iran and Gulf Arab countries.
Separately, Israel intensified strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Attacks targeted commercial and residential areas in Beirut, where at least 242 people were killed on Wednesday.
Hezbollah's attacks on Israel
Iran-backed Hezbollah said on Thursday it had launched rockets towards Israel in response to what it called a violation of the US-Iran truce.
Israel launched its deadliest strikes on Lebanon since the conflict with Hezbollah began last month, killing more than 250 people on Wednesday, as the Iran-backed group resumed rocket fire on northern Israel following a brief pause under the two-week US-Iran ceasefire.
Also read | Can Iran legally charge toll from ships passing Strait of Hormuz? What norms say
The escalation has placed the fragile US-Iran truce under strain, with Tehran warning of a strong response and closing the Strait of Hormuz shortly after signalling it would reopen it.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said planned talks were “unreasonable,” stating that the US had violated three of Iran’s ten conditions for ending the conflict.
He cited Israeli strikes on Hezbollah, an alleged drone incursion into Iranian airspace after the ceasefire, and the US position on Iran’s enrichment capabilities.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the ceasefire included Lebanon. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump said the agreement did not cover Lebanon.
