DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iranian media outlets released navigation charts on Thursday indicating that the nation’s Revolutionary Guard forces may have deployed underwater mines in the strategically important Strait of Hormuz during recent military operations.
The information appeared in reports from ISNA, a semiofficial Iranian news service, along with Tasnim, another news agency that maintains close ties with the Revolutionary Guard organization.
According to the published chart, a large area was designated as a “danger zone” written in the Farsi language, positioned directly over the Traffic Separation Scheme — the primary shipping corridor vessels typically use when navigating through the strait. This marked area reportedly indicates where the Guard forces placed the explosive devices.
The chart recommended that maritime traffic should instead travel through northern waters closer to Iran’s coastline near Larak Island, an alternative path that maritime observers noted some vessels adopted during the conflict period.
The timeframe indicated on the navigation chart spanned from February 28 through Thursday, April 9.
Whether the Revolutionary Guard has removed the alleged mines from the shipping route remains unknown. Military analysts suggest this disclosure may represent a strategic pressure move as Iran, Israel and the United States currently maintain a fragile two-week ceasefire while preparing for potential diplomatic talks in Islamabad.
