Iran claims new naval mines laid in Strait of Hormuz

Iran claimed on Thursday that it laid additional naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, while mockingly dismissing US claims of control over the strategic passage. "During last night's operation, more naval mines were laid along the illicit routes south of the Strait of Hormuz," Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesman for Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, wrote on US social media company X. During last night's operation, more naval mines were laid along the illicit routes south of the Strait of Hormuz; The only thing CENTCOM could do in response was rename the Strait using Photoshop. Problem solved! You can just use Photoshop to get the oil tankers through, too! — Ebrahim Zolfaghari ☫ (@Ebrahim_Zolfgri) September 2, 2026 Zolfaghari mocked US President Donald Trump’s suggestion to rename the waterway "Trump Strait," claiming the only action that the US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees military operations in the Middle East, could manage in response was to "rename the Strait using Photoshop." He joked that Washington could likewise "use Photoshop to get the oil tankers through" the passage. The remarks came amid a sharp dispute between Washington and Tehran. CENTCOM previously declared that all sea mines had been cleared from the transit routes, and rejected reports of tankers hitting mines as disinformation. Trump recently said that all mines had been removed from the strait, and warned of a “zero tolerance policy” on new mine placement. Tehran maintains deliberate opacity regarding the minefields, asserting that only Iranian forces know their exact locations. The number of mines newly deployed during the overnight operation remains unknown. Trump weighs ending Iran war as Pentagon extends deployments: report US President Donald Trump is privately considering declaring the war with Iran over, even as the Pentagon quietly extends troop deployments in the Middle East, according to a Wall Street Journal report Wednesday. The newspaper reported that Trump has discussed with senior aides "whether to declare the Iran war over," a move the president reportedly "favours." He believes that maintaining intense economic pressure will eventually force Tehran to "either dismantle its nuclear program or collapse." The US launched Operation Economic Outcast last week, targeting Iran’s key economic lifelines, including its oil, shipping, aviation, gold, technology and digital asset sectors. Despite the private discussions, the Pentagon is extending deployments in a sign that the war could drag "well into next year.” The military is maintaining 50,000 troops and 19 warships, including two aircraft carriers and 13 guided-missile destroyers, to provide the president with operational "flexibility."