Can Iran use rockets to mine the Strait of Hormuz, as US claims?

What the report says

Al Jazeera reported that the United States struck Iranian military targets on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, saying the action was intended to stop Tehran from using rockets to deploy sea mines. U.S. Central Command said it had observed Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps preparing to launch rockets carrying sea mines, while Iran condemned the attack as aggression and said retaliatory strikes hit two U.S. army bases in Jordan.

The report said the core question is whether rockets can realistically be used to mine the strait. A retired U.S. naval officer quoted by Al Jazeera called the U.S. claim implausible, arguing that a rocket impact in water would likely damage the mines. At the same time, the article noted that Iran has previously shown interest in adapting conventional weapons for asymmetric warfare and has publicly demonstrated a rocket-based mine-laying concept during naval exercises.

Al Jazeera explained that sea mines are usually deployed from ships, submarines or aircraft, but said Iran may be trying to expand its options by using land-based rocket systems such as the Fajr-5. The article said the system’s range could cover the width of the Strait of Hormuz, although Iran has not confirmed current operational use of the method.

The issue matters because the Strait of Hormuz is a major global shipping route, and any mining effort could threaten tanker traffic and raise the risk of wider conflict. The report also placed the strikes within a broader U.S.-Iran military confrontation around Hormuz and Iran’s regional retaliation.