DÉCRYPTAGE – By threatening to mine this strait, Iran aims to cripple the global oil trade and put pressure on Donald Trump.
Will the next phase of the war between the United States and Israel be played out in the depths of the Strait of Hormuz? According to several intelligence sources cited by American media, notably the Wall Street Journal, the Islamic Republic has laid “at least ten mines” in this strait, which is about fifty kilometers wide at its narrowest point and through which 25% of the world’s oil traffic passes. Adding to the military issues, the security of maritime traffic becomes a new key issue in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, triggered on February 28th.
“We want [the mines] removed IMMEDIATELY!”, declared Donald Trump on his Truth Social network on Tuesday, threatening Tehran with “military consequences of an unprecedented scale.” On the same day, the US armed forces “neutralized” sixteen Iranian mine layers, according to CENTCOM, responsible for military operations in East Africa, on X.
