NAVAL MINE WARFARE IN THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ: TIMELINES, CAPABILITIES, AND STRATEGIC CHALLENGES FOR DEPLOYMENT AND CLEARANCE OPERATIONS

Abstract

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints, through which approximately 20–21% of global seaborne oil normally transits. In a high-intensity conflict, Iranian naval mining operations—primarily executed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN)—could rapidly disrupt commercial shipping in the narrow Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS). Coalition mine countermeasures (MCM) in a contested environment would face substantial technical, operational, and threat-related challenges. This analytical review assesses deployment and clearance timelines using open-source data on Iranian mine inventories (estimated 2,000–6,000 units), platform capabilities, historical precedents from the 1991 Gulf War, and current U.S. Navy MCM systems centered on the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Mine Countermeasures Mission Package. Effective interdiction could occur within days to weeks, while comprehensive clearance may require several months to ove