Perilous waters of the straight of Hormuz.
Fars News Agency in Iran is reporting that the Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi has openly disclosed the fact that “Iran has hi-tech mines that the US would never imagine even in its worst dreams.”
“Today”, he said “We have different types of highly advanced mines and the Americans can never imagine that other countries could have such mines,” Fadavi said on the sidelines of the IRGC Navy’s massive Payambar-e Azam 9 (The Great Prophet 9) wargames in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday.
See video: Iran’s republican guard blows up replica U.S. carrier in ‘Great Prophet 9’ military drills https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xFqveIWDbQ
Admiral Fadavi explained that voyage from Northern to Southern Persian Gulf can be done only through 19 corridors, which if come to be closed, no one can traverse to the Southern parts of the waterway. Period!
The Navy commander said the US (themselves) have “repeatedly admitted that sea mines are their worst dream.” Referring apparently to open source intelligence reports.
He said the “US didn’t succeed in minesweeping operations during the Iraqi-imposed war against Iran”, and added, “Since 2011, the US has dedicated its largest and most important wargames to minesweeping operations.”
Fadavi comments seem to indicate that Iran is seeking to exploit this particular weakness during any kind of military or naval engagement with the United States.
See related video: Iran IRGC Ashoura fast boats exercising to deposit naval mines in Persian Gulf as a drill https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWQzRWqwJoA
The Pentagon refuse comment in this matter and declined our offer to share this report with them
Note:
| In the early 1980s, the U.S. Navy began development of a new mine countermeasures (MCM) force, which included two new classes of ships and minesweeping helicopters. The vital importance of a state-of-the-art mine countermeasures force was strongly underscored in the Persian Gulf during the eight years of the Iran-Iraq war, and in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1990 and 1991 when the Avenger (MCM 1) and Guardian (MCM 5) ships conducted MCM operations.
Avenger class ships are designed as mine sweepers/hunter-killers capable of finding, classifying and destroying moored and bottom mines. The last three MCM ships were purchased in 1990, bringing the total to 14 fully deployable, oceangoing Avenger class ships. Eleven MCM ships currently remain in service. These ships use sonar and video systems, cable cutters and a mine detonating device that can be released and detonated by remote control. They are also capable of conventional sweeping measures. The ships are of fiberglass sheathed, wooden hull construction. |
| General Characteristics |
| Ships: |
| USS Sentry (MCM 3), Manama, Bahrain |
| USS Champion (MCM 4), San Diego, CA |
| USS Devastator (MCM 6), Manama, Bahrain |
| USS Patriot (MCM 7), Sasebo, Japan |
| USS Scout (MCM 8), San Diego, CA |
| USS Pioneer (MCM 9), Sasebo, Japan |
| USS Warrior (MCM 10), Sasebo, Japan |
| USS Gladiator (MCM 11), Manama, Bahrain |
| USS Ardent (MCM 12), San Diego, CA |
| USS Dextrous (MCM 13), Manama, Bahrain |
| USS Chief (MCM 14), Sasebo, Japan |