NEW YORK, June 20. /TASS/. The possible closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran may block some of US Navy warships in the Persian Gulf, the The New York Times (NYT) wrote citing sources.
According to their information, Pentagon officials are examining all possible variants of Iran’s response if the United States joins Israel’s miltary operation. According to the newspaper, Iran has an opportunity to install mines in the Strait of Hormuz, which will leave US warships isolated in the Persian Gulf.
As a countermeasure, the US military is now examining the possibility of scattering its naval task force. Currently, the US force in the region comprises four warships with 100 sailors on board each of them.
On June 19, Benham Saeidi, member of the Iranian parliamentary committee on national security and foreign policy, said that Tehran was considering the possibility of closing the Strait of Hormuz in response to the actions of the country's enemies.
Bloomberg reported earlier that the US was preparing for a possible strike on Iran in the coming days. According to the Wall Street Journal, US President Donald Trump told his aides on June 17 that he had approved attack plans for Iran but withheld a final order to see if Tehran would abandon its nuclear program.
Up to 30% of global LNG supplies and up to 20% of global oil and oil products exports currently pass through the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian authorities have repeatedly warned that they could restrict navigation in the Strait of Hormuz in case of a threat to national security.