Strait of Hormuz dotted with about a dozen Iranian mines, U.S. officials say

Washington — Amid Trump administration demands for Tehran to keep the free flow of commerce in the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. officials have told CBS News that there are at least a dozen underwater mines through the vital passageway, according to current American intelligence assessments. 

U.S. officials, who have seen current American intelligence assessments and spoke to CBS News under condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive national security matters, said the mines currently employed by Iran in the strait are the Iranian-manufactured Maham 3 and Maham 7 Limpet Mine. 

Another U.S. official said the count was less than a dozen. 

On Monday morning, President Trump backed off his threat to "obliterate" power plants if Iran continued to block the strait. Mr. Trump said his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner had engaged in negotiations with Tehran. 

"That'll be open very soon, if this works," the president said of the strait and the latest ploy for diplomacy. Mr. Trump said the flow of oil in the strait would be jointly controlled by "me and the Ayatollah, whoever the Ayatollah is."

Iran's foreign ministry denied that direct talks had taken place. Iranian state media accused Mr. Trump of wanting to buy time. 

The Maham 3 is a moored naval mine that uses magnetic and acoustic sensors to detect nearby vessels without physical contact. It can engage targets within about 10 feet, analyzing movement to determine the most effective moment to activate. An electronic timer controls when the mine is active, while its one magnetic and two passive acoustic sensors can be configured through coded inputs, allowing for flexible and simplified operation, according to the Collective Awareness to Unexploded Ordnance website, a platform that connects the explosive ordnance disposal community to share information and improve global awareness of unexploded ordnance and related hazards. 

First shown publicly at an arms exhibition in 2015, the Iranian-made Maham 7, known as a "sticking mine" is a more elusive naval weapon. The device, a compact high-explosive limpet mine designed to rest along the seabed, relies on a combination of acoustic and three-axis magnetic sensors to detect nearby vessels. Its intended targets included medium-sized ships, landing craft and smaller submarines. 

Flexible in deployment, it can be released from surface vessels or dropped by aircraft and helicopters, even into relatively shallow waters. The shape of the Maham 7 was engineered to scatter incoming sonar waves that complicates detection by minesweeping systems, allowing it to remain concealed until a target passes within range, according to the Collective Awareness to Unexploded Ordnance website. 

Contacted by CBS News on Monday, U.S. Central Command declined to comment. 

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said: "The Department of War has destroyed over 40 minelaying vessels to stop Iran from attempting to disrupt the free flow of energy. And thanks to President Trump, many countries around the world have agreed to help in this effort."

Last week, Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters that U.S. Central Command, the primary unit conducting American military operations against Iran, is continuing to target and destroy mine storage facilities and naval ammunition depots. 

"We continue to hunt and kill afloat assets, including more than 120 vessels and 44 mine layers, and the pressure will continue," said Caine. 

Caine also underscored the U.S. military's targeting of Kharg Island where Iran has mine storage and deployment facilities. Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of U.S. Central Command has overseen more than 90 precision strikes in that region. 

Earlier this month, CBS News reported that Iran was preparing to deploy naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz in an effort to further disrupt key shipping lanes. 

American officials told CBS News that Iran was using smaller crafts that can carry two to three mines each to lay them into the strait. While an official account of Iran's naval mine stock is not publicly available, estimates over the years have ranged from roughly 2,000 to 6,000 naval mines largely produced by Iran, China or Russia—even mines dating back to the former Soviet Union. A 2019 report from the Defense Intelligence Agency said Iran had a naval mine stockpile of more than 5,000 that could be rapidly deployed by way of "high-speed small boats equipped as minelayers." 

Following the report from CBS News, Mr. Trump posted on Truth Social: "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!"

That same day, U.S. Central Command released declassified footage of airstrikes on 16 minelayers near the Strait of Hormuz. 

Other news outlets, including CNN and Reuters reported earlier this month that Iran had laid mines.

Meanwhile, the residual impacts of the U.S.-Israel led war with Iran has been felt abroad and in the United States as the war enters its fourth week.  

About 20% of global oil supply flowed through the strait prior to the war's start on February 28. Domestic gas prices have steadily risen since, up an average of roughly a dollar a gallon, according to GasBuddy.com. 

A recent CBS News poll shows the majority of Americans feel negatively about the ongoing war with Iran. While 43% said the conflict with Iran was going "very to somewhat well," 57% reported that it was "very to somewhat badly." Overall, 62% disapprove of Mr. Trump's handling of the Iran war and 38% saying they approve. 

Stocks rallied sharply on Monday, reversing early pessimism after Mr. Trump said he would delay his ultimatum deadline for Iran over the strait given his claim of productive peace talks with Tehran. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed more than 1,000 points, rising 2.4% to 46,654. The broader market followed suit: the S&P 500 gained 2.1 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite, heavily weighted toward technology companies, advanced 2.4%. 

Arden Farhi, Kathryn Watson, Caroline Linton, Aimee Picchi and Layla Ferris contributed to this report.