Iran mines the Strait of Hormuz amid US attacks on warships. What the media is writing
- Новости
- World
- Iran mines the Strait of Hormuz amid US attacks on warships. What the media is writing
The Iranian military has begun mining the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world's oil supplies pass. At the same time, the US military command announced the destruction of 16 minelaying vessels near the waterway. The Pentagon also revealed losses during the ongoing conflict with Iran. What the world's media write about the latest events in the war zone is in the Izvestia digest.
CNN: Iran has begun mining the Strait of Hormuz
According to two US intelligence sources, Iran has begun laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most important energy corridor through which about one fifth of all crude oil passes. Mining has not yet been carried out on a large scale, several dozen mines have been installed in recent days. However, Iran still retains 80% to 90% of its small boats and minelayers, so it may well install hundreds of mines in this waterway.
CNN
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which effectively controls the strait along with the traditional navy, is capable of deploying a "corridor" of dispersed minelaying vessels, boats loaded with explosives, and coastal missile batteries. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday in a message on the Truth Social website: "If Iran has planted any mines in the Strait of Hormuz, and we have no reports of this, we want them to be defused immediately!"
Trump added that if the mines are planted and not defused, Iran will face consequences on a "scale never seen before." After that, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth wrote that, on Trump's instructions, the US central Command was "destroying inactive minesweepers in the Strait of Hormuz."
Reuters: The United States destroyed 16 minelaying vessels
On March 10, the US Central Command announced the "elimination" of 16 Iranian minelaying vessels near the Strait of Hormuz. Earlier, Trump stated that the United States had "completely destroyed" 10 inactive mine vessels. He also said that the United States uses the same technologies used against drug traffickers to "permanently destroy any vessel or ship attempting to mine the Strait of Hormuz."
Reuters
Earlier on Tuesday, a senior US general said that the US military had begun considering ways to potentially escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz if they were given the appropriate order. "We are considering a number of options," General Dan Kane told reporters at the Pentagon.
However, sources familiar with the situation said that the US Navy is still rejecting requests from the shipping industry for military escorts through the strait. Energy Secretary Chris Wright posted on March 10 that the U.S. Navy had successfully escorted an oil tanker through the waterway, but later deleted the post.
Bloomberg: A shell hit a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz
The British Navy reported that a cargo ship caught fire after being hit by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz. An unidentified vessel reported hitting an unknown projectile about 11 nautical miles (20 km) north of the coast of Oman, the UK Maritime Trade Administration (UKMTO) said. The ship has requested assistance, and the crew is evacuating.
Bloomberg
Ship traffic through the Strait, a crucial shipping link linking the oil-rich Persian Gulf to global markets, has all but stopped after the United States and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran last month, prompting the Islamic Republic to retaliate by targeting ships in the waterway.
According to the UKMTO, at least ten attacks were reported from February 28 to March 10. The organization said the threat level remains "critical." The United States has promised to provide naval escorts for the safety of navigation in the region, but has not yet conducted such operations. On March 10, the White House denied a report by Energy Secretary Chris Wright, which stated that the US Navy had successfully escorted a tanker through the strait.
The Washington Post: The Pentagon reported 140 wounded soldiers
The Pentagon reported that as of March 10, about 140 American servicemen were injured during the war with Iran, and seven more soldiers were killed. The vast majority of the wounded suffered minor injuries, Defense Ministry spokesman Sean Parnell said, adding that 108 people had returned to duty. Eight people were seriously injured and are "receiving the highest level of medical care."
The Washington Post
One of the recent dead, Army Sergeant Benjamin Pennington, died a few days after being injured in an attack in Saudi Arabia. The remaining six people were killed in a drone attack in Kuwait. Earlier, representatives of the Ministry of Defense stated that the number of wounded was less than a dozen people, specifying that these were the most seriously injured.
The number of wounded underscores the threat of Iranian drones and missiles that have targeted troops at American bases across the Middle East. Although it is unclear exactly how the soldiers were injured, the nature of the attacks indicates that the likely causes could be shrapnel wounds and traumatic brain injuries. General Dan Kane stated that the number of Iranian ballistic missile strikes has decreased by 90% since the beginning of the war, and the number of drone attacks has decreased by 83%.
The New York Times: Trump and his advisers miscalculated Iran's reaction
On February 18, when Trump was considering whether to launch military action against Iran, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said he was not worried about possible chaos in the energy markets. Several other Trump advisers have privately shared similar views, dismissing warnings that Iran could launch an economic war by blocking shipping lanes.
The New York Times
The scale of this miscalculation became apparent in recent days, when Iran threatened to fire on commercial oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically important point through which all ships en route from the Persian Gulf must pass. In response to the Iranian threats, commercial shipping in the Persian Gulf came to a standstill, oil prices soared, and the Trump administration hastily sought ways to contain the economic crisis that has led to higher gasoline prices for Americans.
This episode is a telling example of how much Trump and his advisers underestimated Iran's response to the conflict, which the government in Tehran views as an existential threat. Iran reacted much more aggressively than during the 12-day war last June. American officials had to adjust various plans on the move, from the hasty evacuation of embassies to the development of policy proposals to reduce gasoline prices.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
