PNN – A maritime expert at the American Foreign Policy Research Institute stated that the United States does not have the ability to clear mines in the Strait of Hormuz without NATO support, and even a limited number of mines could disrupt shipping in this strategic waterway.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, In an interview with the Japanese newspaper “Asahi” regarding the American-Zionist aggression against Iran and the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, Salisbury said that the strait could easily be mined by Iranian forces and that the United States would not be able to clear the area without NATO’s help; however, Washington’s allies are not willing to send their forces to participate in military operations in the Strait of Hormuz.
He emphasized that the Strait of Hormuz is narrow and even with a limited number of mines, shipping can be stopped. This will not be a difficult task for the Iranian armed forces.
These statements came as Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, denied US President Donald Trump’s claims that Iran had laid mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
In response to the question of whether Iran had laid mines in this waterway, he emphasized: No, not at all. That is not true.
The joint military aggression by the United States and the Zionist regime against the Islamic Republic of Iran, which resulted in the martyrdom of Ayatollah Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, began in the early hours of February 28, 2026; this action took place while indirect negotiations between Iran and the United States were underway with the mediation of some regional countries.
Following the start of the joint military aggression by the United States and the Zionist regime, the Islamic Republic of Iran provided a decisive, targeted, and proportionate response to this action. As part of this legitimate response, the military and security positions of the Zionist regime in various cities of occupied Palestine, as well as the bases and centers where American forces are deployed in the region were targeted with precise missile, drone, and air strikes.
Officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran have emphasized that these operations were carried out within the framework of the inherent right of self-defense under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter and with the aim of deterrence, preventing the continuation of aggression and imposing costs on the aggressors. The Islamic Republic of Iran has warned that any continuation or expansion of aggression will be met with a more severe and extensive response.