Why Iran’s plan to lay sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz could be disastrous

The US destroyed 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels amid intelligence Iran planned to deploy naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil shipping route. Naval mines are highly dangerous, inexpensive weapons that can cripple military and commercial vessels and are difficult to remove. Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has dropped sharply since the Iran war began, raising concerns over global oil supply and environmental risks if mines are deployed.