Iran says it has laid new naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz escalating tensions with Washington while mocking US claims of control over the vital waterway.
Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesman for Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said on X that more mines were placed overnight "along illicit routes" south of the strait. He dismissed President Trump's proposal to rename the passage "Trump Strait" sarcastically suggesting the only thing US Central Command (CENTCOM) could actually do was "rename it using Photoshop" and joked Washington could "Photoshop" oil tankers through as well.
The comments deepen a standoff between the two nations. CENTCOM has said all mines were cleared from shipping lanes and dismissed tanker-strike reports as false. Trump echoed this claiming the strait was mine-free and warned of a "zero tolerance" stance on any new mines.
Iran keeps the minefields' locations secret with saying only its own forces know where they are. The number of mines laid in the latest operation is not known.
The Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil transit route remains a flashpoint amid the wider Iran-US rivalry.
