LONDON, 12 March. - (ANA) - The waterway, which carries 20 percent of the world's oil and gas supply, has been blocked for more than a week following the US-Israeli attack on Iran.

 

There are fears Iran has started to mine the Strait of Hormuz amid the US-Israel war on the country, following media reports, which would be the first sign that Tehran is moving to militarily close off the strategically important waterway, which carries 20 percent of the world's oil and gas supply.

 

Iran's navy has not yet extensively mined the strait and has laid only a few dozen such devices, two people familiar with US intelligence told CNN, however, it has retained 80-90 percent of its small boats and mines, allowing it to potentially lay hundreds more in the coming days.

 

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday threatened Tehran with consequences "at a level never before seen" if Iran mines the waterway, although there is no proof yet that the Iranians have.

 

"If Iran has put out any mines in the Hormuz Strait, and we have no reports of them doing so, we want them removed IMMEDIATELY!", he wrote on Truth Social.

 

"If, on the other hand, they remove what may have been placed, it will be a giant step in the right direction," he added.

 

 

The US said Wednesday it had destroyed more than a dozen mine-laying vessels in its bid to prevent the complete closure of the strait.

 

Oil prices have swung violently this week amid fears of a historic oil shock caused by the war. Tankers have been blocked from transiting the strait for more than a week, leaving hundreds of vessels stranded in the Gulf and removing some 20 million barrels per day from global supply.

 

Saudi Arabia is rerouting some of its oil to the Red Sea through Iraq and Kuwait - which have no alternative to shipping via the strait - and started to shut down some production sites. Qatar - one of the world's largest gas producers - said last week it was shutting down production due to the crisis.

 

Saudi Aramco on Tuesday warned of "catastrophic consequences" for the global energy markets if shipping does not resume.

 

Iran has also targeted energy infrastructure across the Gulf with the Ruwais refinery in the UAE - the largest in the region - forced offline this week after a drone strike.

 

The Trump administration has floated a number of plans to ease the crisis, including offering wartime insurance to shipping companies and providing naval escorts for vessels.

 

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright claimed on social media on Tuesday that the US navy had escorted a tanker through the Strait of Hormuz, although this was quickly denied by Trump officials and the post was deleted.

 

 

 

 

Iran continued to launch missile and drone attacks against military and civilian targets across the Gulf on Wednesday.

 

Its military for the first time threatened to target banks and financial institutions linked to the US and Israel following an airstrike on a bank in Tehran. Later, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps said sites associated with the US - such as Google - could become a target.

 

The Saudi defence ministry said it had shot down seven drones heading towards the Shaybah oil field overnight, while Qatar intercepted several ballistic missiles.

 

Four people were injured when a drone fell near Dubai International Airport on Wednesday morning.

 

"Authorities confirm that two drones fell in the vicinity of Dubai International Airport a short while ago, resulting in minor injuries to two Ghanaian nationals and one Bangladeshi national, and moderate injuries to one Indian national. Air traffic is operating as normal," the Dubai Media Office said in a statement.

 

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Qatar's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mohammed bin Abdulaziz al-Khulaifi, condemned in the “strongest terms, the unjustified and outrageous attacks on the state of Qatar that directly impact its own sovereignty".

 

Omani air defences intercepted a drone near the port city of Duqm on Wednesday morning, although no injuries were reported.   - (ANA) -

 

 

AB/ANA/12 March 2026 - - -