Coalition plans to reopen critical Strait of Hormuz

UK, France Prepare Hormuz Mine-Clearing Mission As Ceasefire Talks Advance

The United Kingdom and France are finalizing plans for a multinational mine-clearing operation in the Strait of Hormuz that could begin shortly after any ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran, according to Bloomberg.

The proposed mission would involve 15 nations and would include direct communication with Tehran to prevent misunderstandings as coalition vessels work to reopen one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints.

According to Bloomberg, the UK and France have almost finished formulating a plan to implement a mine/clearing operation in the Strait of Hormuz, following a potential deal between the U.S. and Iran on a lasting ceasefire. The plan would be a multinational effort and comes… pic.twitter.com/pWZ8MUlJ1y-- OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) June 4, 2026

The effort comes after months of disruption in the Gulf following the 2026 escalation that began when U.S. and Israeli forces struck Iranian nuclear facilities. In response, Iran laid naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, effectively closing a waterway responsible for roughly one-fifth of global oil shipments.

The closure has triggered one of the largest oil supply disruptions in modern history, removing an estimated 10 million to 14 million barrels per day or more from global seaborne oil trade.

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Iran and the "ceasefire"

Iran Declares Strait of Hormuz Open, but Warns of Risk From Mines

They had a hell of a nerve laying mines in a major waterway that they don't own

“Those technical restrictions are very much connected to the wartime condition, and it takes time to be removed,” Khatibzadeh said, adding that each vessel should make “necessary arrangements” with the Iranian authorities to be able to pass through the strait safely.

In a post on X on April 9 local time, the Iranian Consulate in Mumbai warned of “possible anti-ship mines” and shared a map showing a mined area in the main channel of the strait.

It encouraged ships to take two alternative corridors further north, one of which is what became known as the “tollbooth” lane, north of Larak Island.

Oil hovered near $98 a barrel on April 9, as traffic through the strait remained well below peacetime levels.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said France is finalizing plans with around 14 other European nations to escort ships through the strait.

“The fundamental freedoms ‌of the seas must not be unilaterally withdrawn or sold off ​to individual bidders,” British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper is expected to say. According to the advance copy. “Nor can there be ​any place for tolls on ​an international waterway. Freedom of navigation means navigation must be ⁠free.”

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Seizing Kharg Island

Iran ‘Laying Traps’ And ‘Building Up Defenses’ On Kharg Island

Preparing For US Ground Attack

Iran has recently bolstered its defenses around Kharg Island, anticipating a possible U.S. move to seize the key oil export hub, CNN reported this week. The island is vital to Iran’s economy, handling roughly 90% of its crude shipments, and has become a focal point in escalating tensions.

The Trump administration has explored the option of sending U.S. forces to take control of the island as leverage to pressure Iran into reopening the Strait of Hormuz. But military officials caution that such an operation would carry serious risks.

Iran has reinforced the island with additional air defense systems, including portable missiles, and has planted mines along likely landing zones.

There is also growing skepticism among U.S. allies and policymakers about whether capturing the island would achieve its broader objective. Even if successful, it may not resolve the wider dispute over energy flows and could instead intensify the conflict.

An Israeli source warned that U.S. troops could face attacks from drones and shoulder-fired missiles if they attempt a landing. Some analysts suggest that targeting Iran’s oil exports through a naval blockade could be a less risky alternative to putting troops on the ground.

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Iran’s Kharg Island

US strikes strategic island as Iran war enters its third week

U.S. forces struck more than 90 targets on Iran’s Kharg Island on Friday, U.S. Central Command said in a post on X on Saturday, the 15th day of the conflict.

The small coral island about 21 miles off Iran’s coast is the primary terminal through which nearly all of Iran’s oil exports pass.

The post, which included a video montage, noted that strikes hit military targets, like “naval mine storage facilities, missile storage bunkers,” while also “preserving the oil infrastructure.”

A Friday post by President Donald Trump on Truth Social similarly said “for reasons of decency, I have chosen NOT to wipe out the Oil Infrastructure on the Island,” but that the decision would be reconsidered if transit through the Strait of Hormuz continues to be threatened.

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Mines in Strait of Hormuz

US Officials: Iran Laying Mines in Strait of Hormuz

Iran has begun laying naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, the critical Persian Gulf channel that carries about 20% of the world's oil, according to U.S. officials, raising concerns about global shipping and energy supplies.

U.S. intelligence indicates Iran started deploying the mines Thursday using small boats after the U.S. military destroyed larger Iranian naval vessels capable of quickly laying mines in the narrow waterway, a U.S. official briefed on the intelligence said, according to The New York Times on Friday.

In his first public remarks since the war began, Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, said in a written statement Thursday (no one knows whether he's alive or dead) that "the lever of blocking the Strait of Hormuz must continue to be used."

U.S. officials said the latest mining effort is slower and less efficient than using larger vessels, but Iran appears to be attempting to lay mines faster than U.S. forces can clear them, in hopes of deterring ships from entering the strait.

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And Democrats are bitching and moaning that the price of gas has risen.