TEHRAN: Iran on Monday threatened to deploy naval mines across key waterways in the Gulf if the United States or Israel launches attacks on its coasts or islands, signalling a sharp escalation in its military posture as the regional conflict deepens.
In a statement carried by state media, Iran’s defence council said any such attack would trigger the mining of “all access routes and communication lines” in the Gulf and surrounding coastal areas.
“Any attempt by the enemy to attack Iranian coasts or islands will naturally… lead to all access routes and communication lines in the Gulf… being mined with various types of naval mines, including drifting mines deployable from the coasts,” the statement said.
The Defence Council, which operates under the Supreme National Security Council, was established following Iran’s 12-day war with Israel in June 2025.
Strait of Hormuz at the centre of crisis
The warning comes as tensions mount over the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which around 20 percent of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes.
The strait has been effectively closed since the start of the war on February 28, triggered by US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
US President Donald Trump has issued an ultimatum demanding that Iran reopen the waterway within 48 hours, threatening to “obliterate” Iranian power plants if it fails to comply.
In response, Iran’s armed forces have vowed to completely shut the strait and warned of attacks on energy infrastructure across the region.
Regional infrastructure in crosshairs
Iranian state media published infographics outlining potential targets, including major power plants in Israel such as Orot Rabin and Rutenberg.
Separate visuals circulated by Mehr news agency depicted possible targets in Gulf including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Kuwait under the headline “Say goodbye to electricity!”
“In the event of the slightest attack on the electricity infrastructure of the Islamic Republic, the entire region will be plunged into darkness,” one of the graphics warned.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Iran would “irreversibly” destroy vital infrastructure across the region if attacked by the United States or Israel.
Shipping disruptions intensify
Maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has dropped sharply since the outbreak of the war.
Only a small fraction of vessels — about five percent of pre-war volumes, according to analytics firm Kpler — are currently transiting the route.
Iranian forces have targeted multiple vessels in recent weeks, saying they failed to heed warnings against using the waterway.
However, Tehran has allowed limited passage to ships from countries it considers friendly, while warning that vessels linked to nations supporting US military operations could be blocked.
