According to CBS, the Iranian side has proceeded to deploy mine facilities in the waters of the Strait of Hormuz. Once the minefields are formed, commercial shipping activities in the critical waterway could be completely disrupted in the coming days and weeks.
CNN sources indicate that the current mine-laying operation is limited in scale, with only the first few dozen recently dropped from its vast mine stockpile. A number of officials have told the media that Iran still retains about 90% of minelaying ships after the joint U.S.-Israeli military strikes.
After the announcement of this news, international crude oil prices quickly rebounded, up about 10 dollars per barrel, reversing the previous trend of continued decline due to the release of the United States withdrawal information.
According to Xinhua News Agency on March 10, U.S. President Donald Trump released a message through social media platforms, warning Iran that if it lays mines in the Strait of Hormuz, it will be subjected to ”unprecedented” military strikes and claiming that the U.S. military will ”completely destroy any ship attempting to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz. ”. He later issued a message stating that United States forces had destroyed 10 inactive Iranian mine-laying vessels in the past few hours and that follow-up action would continue.
On the same day, the U.S. Central Command released a message on social media saying that the U.S. forces eliminated a number of Iranian naval vessels, including 16 minelayers, in the waters around the Strait of Hormuz on that day.
The deployment of mines is widely recognized as the ultimate Iranian measure to blockade the Strait of Hormuz, as it would also have a serious negative impact on Iran's own shipping activities. Currently, Iran's ”shadow fleet” continues to use the narrow waterway to export oil to China, while the Iranian Revolutionary Guards keep most Western ships out by deterring them with missiles, speedboats and drone strikes.
Once the mines are laid, the current situation is likely to change fundamentally and oil exports, which are strategic for the long-term survival of the Iranian regime, will be disrupted as a result. If Iran finally decides to implement the mine-laying plan, it is assessed that it has at least 2,000 mines in reserve, with the corresponding delivery and implementation capabilities.
Dan Caine, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on 10 October local time, ”The U.S. military is doing everything it can to destroy all of Iran's minelaying ships, but it's an extremely challenging task.”
According to Xinhua News Agency, Abu Dhabi, March 11, Britain's Maritime Trade Action Office reported on March 11, a container ship in the waters off the United Arab Emirates suffered an attack and was damaged, all the people on board safe.
A statement issued by the British Office of Maritime Trade Operations said that the vessel had been struck by a suspected unidentified launch 25 nautical miles (46 kilometers) northwest of Ras al-Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates. Details of the damage are not yet known and the investigation is progressing.
This is the second container ship to be publicly reported as having been attacked. According to previous information from Vi**.net, on March 4, the Maltese container ship Safeen Prestige was hit by a shell in the Strait of Hormuz, causing a fire in the engine room.
Author:Kim
Company: Xindashun International Logistics (Shenzhen) Co.
Tel:13556688899
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