Amid high-stakes Iran-U.S. talks in Islamabad, a new crisis unfolds in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s naval mine strategy, once a tool of leverage, now appears to be backfiring as Tehran struggles to locate and clear hazardous minefields. Reports suggest deployments were haphazard, with drifting mines posing continued risks to global shipping and energy routes. As tensions with the United States and Israel escalated earlier, the situation has only grown more complex. With Donald Trump demanding a complete reopening of the strait, questions remain—can Iran eliminate a threat it may no longer fully control?

