Iran has threatened to block the Gulf's shipping routes and lay mines if its coastline or islan

Iran Threatens to Mine the Strait of Hormuz, Cut Shipping Lanes if Attacked

Iran is drawing a hard line. In a statement from its Defense Committee, Tehran warned that any attack on its coasts or islands would trigger retaliation: shutting down shipping lanes in the Gulf—including the Strait of Hormuz—cutting communications, and laying explosive naval mines, launched directly from Iranian shores. The threat escalates an already volatile situation in the world's most critical energy chokepoint.