Iran is starting to deploy mines in the Strait of Hormuz. For the New York Times, Samuel Granados, John Ismay, and Agnes Chang illustrate how four types of naval mines work to damage tankers.
The geography of the strait and the surrounding waters works to Iran’s advantage. A long southern coastline affords ample opportunity for small boats to dart out with mines.
Tight shipping lanes leave little room to navigate. And the water at the strait’s narrowest point is only about 200 feet deep — shallow enough to lay minefields.
As one might expect, clearing mines with potential attacks from above is not as straightforward as clicking on a Minesweeper game grid.
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