On the 23rd (local time), Iran’s Defense Council said in a statement, “Any attempt to attack Iran’s coast or islands will result in the laying of mines across the Persian Gulf and on all access routes and communications lines along the coast.” The council added that various types of mines, including floating mines that can be deployed from shore, would be used.
The warning came after Axios reported that U.S. officials are weighing plans to seize or blockade Kharg Island, Iran’s largest oil-export hub. U.S. planners have considered using ground forces to occupy Kharg and nearby Abu Musa island to force a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran threatened that “if the U.S. carries out an attack, the entire Persian Gulf would effectively face a blockade similar to the Strait of Hormuz,” and said the disruption would be prolonged.
The Defense Council invoked the 1980s Iran–Iraq “tanker war” to ratchet up psychological pressure, noting, “More than 100 minehunters were deployed then, yet they failed to clear even a handful of mines properly.”
It also reaffirmed Iran’s authority over transit through the Strait of Hormuz, asserting that even ships from non-belligerent states must coordinate transit plans with Iran in advance. “The only way for neutral countries to transit is by cooperating with Iran,” the council said.
Formed last June by order of the Supreme Leader, the Defense Council is a government–military joint body created to speed wartime decision-making and supplement the Supreme National Security Council after the outbreak of the so-called “12-day war.”
