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During the late stages of the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, Tehran deployed naval mines throughout the Persian Gulf in an attempt to disrupt global oil shipments. One of those mines struck the U.S. Navy frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts in 1988, ripping open the hull and nearly sinking the ship.
President Ronald Reagan responded with overwhelming force during Operation Praying Mantis, a one-day assault that destroyed Iranian naval infrastructure, sank a frigate, and crippled much of Iran’s small-boat fleet.
The campaign forced Iran to retreat and allowed shipping through the strait to resume.
Now, decades later, intelligence officials say Tehran appears to be attempting the same strategy again.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps has reportedly stockpiled thousands of naval mines produced domestically as well as imported from Chinese and Russian designs. U.S. intelligence believes those mines were being prepared for deployment into the narrow shipping lanes that connect the Persian Gulf to the open ocean.
Trump did not wait for that plan to unfold.
U.S. Military Campaign Expands Rapidly
According to American military commanders, the response has been massive.
CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper said Wednesday that U.S. forces have struck more than 5,500 targets inside Iran, including more than 60 ships.
“U.S. combat power is building,” Cooper said. “Iranian combat power is declining.”
The White House has described the strikes as part of a broader campaign designed to cripple Tehran’s ability to threaten global shipping.
Trump himself has taken a more blunt tone when describing the outcome.
“They have no Navy,” he told Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade. “We sunk all their ships.”
He also issued a stark warning to Tehran.
On Truth Social Tuesday, the president wrote that if mines are discovered in the shipping lanes, “the Military consequences to Iran will be at a level never seen before.”
Why the Strait of Hormuz Matters So Much
The urgency surrounding the confrontation is tied to the strategic importance of the strait itself.
At its narrowest point the Strait of Hormuz is only about 21 miles wide. Despite that limited space, the passage carries roughly twenty percent of the global oil supply every day.
Even a single disabled tanker could block the route and disrupt international energy markets.
Several Asian nations rely heavily on oil shipments through the channel. Japan receives around seventy percent of its Middle Eastern oil through the strait. Pakistan has already reportedly asked Saudi Arabia to reroute shipments through the Red Sea as a precaution.
Energy analysts warn that Asian fuel reserves are measured in weeks rather than months, meaning prolonged disruption could cause severe economic consequences worldwide.
Iran’s leadership understands the leverage that chokepoint provides.
Iranian officials have warned that ships attempting to pass through the region could face attack if they do not receive Tehran’s approval.
One vessel already appears to have been targeted. The Thai cargo ship Mayuree Naree reportedly caught fire after an attack Wednesday morning, forcing a rescue operation involving most of its 23 crew members.
Trump Tells Oil Companies to Keep Moving
Even as tensions escalate, the president is urging global shipping companies not to retreat.
Trump has encouraged commercial vessels to continue sailing through the strait, telling companies to “show some guts” and keep cargo moving despite Iranian threats.
Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth outlined the broader military objectives during a Pentagon briefing.
Those goals include dismantling Iran’s missile infrastructure, eliminating its naval capabilities, and preventing Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Hegseth told reporters the United States is currently “winning” the confrontation and warned that Iran had been “racing” toward nuclear capability before the strikes began.
Political Fallout Already Brewing
Back in Washington, the conflict is quickly becoming a political flashpoint.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has labeled the conflict “Donald Trump’s war” and is calling on the administration to release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to offset potential price spikes.
Republicans counter that Democrats opposed efforts during Trump’s first term to refill the reserve when energy prices were far lower.
Meanwhile, the military campaign continues.
Funerals for several high-ranking Iranian commanders were reportedly held in Tehran this week while U.S. strikes continued targeting military infrastructure across the country.
The coming days will determine whether Iran escalates further or backs down as it did after the Reagan-era confrontation.
But one reality is already clear.
Control of the Strait of Hormuz remains one of the most important geopolitical battles in the world’s energy economy, and Washington has made it clear it intends to keep that vital shipping lane open.
