Iran preparing for a disaster? Operation "Midnight Hammer" revealed everything

According to information obtained by American intelligence services, these preparations followed after Israel carried out the first missile attack on Iran on June 13.

The officials, who requested anonymity, stressed that the mines had not been placed in the strait, but that their loading suggests Iran may be serious about blocking the route.

Blocking the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20 percent of global oil and gas shipments pass, could lead to a significant increase in energy prices and seriously disrupt global trade, experts point out.

Although oil prices have fallen by more than 10 percent since the US attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities, fears of disruptions in energy supplies have not completely disappeared.

Iran has been threatening to close the strait for years, but has never followed through on that threat.

Parliament supports blockade

In June 2022, Iran's parliament reportedly endorsed the blockade, but the decision was not binding, and Iran's Supreme National Security Council was to have the final say.

The US subsequently announced that the Iranian parliament was considering the possibility of a blockade, but did not announce concrete steps towards the implementation of that plan.

Also, US intelligence has not disclosed how it learned about the loading of mines on Iranian ships, but it is assumed that the information was gathered through satellite images and human sources.

A White House official said that, thanks to the American operation "Midnight Hammer", as well as the campaign of maximum pressure on Iran, "the Strait of Hormuz remained open, and freedom of navigation was restored."

The Pentagon did not comment on reports of preparations for the blast. American officials also did not rule out the possibility that the preparation of the mines could have been a deception, so that Iran would show seriousness in its intention to close the strait without actually intending to do so.

Strait of Hormuz - a key maritime route

The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and is a key maritime route for oil exporters including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq.

Iran is estimated to maintain more than 5,000 naval mines, which could be deployed quickly.

The US Fifth Fleet, based in Bahrain, is tasked with protecting maritime commerce in the region.

The US Navy normally maintains demining ships, but they have been temporarily removed in anticipation of possible Iranian retaliatory strikes following US attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities.