US Warship Hits Iranian Mine, Flames Erupt in Hormuz; Echoes of 1980s Tanker War

• An American warship struck an Iranian mine, causing flames to erupt in the sea, raising fears of escalating conflict.
• The incident draws parallels to the 1980s Tanker War in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran and Iraq targeted merchant ships.
• During the 1987 US intervention, Iranian mines severely damaged the US destroyer warship USS Samuel B. Roberts.
• Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has since developed advanced naval mines, anti-ship missiles, and swarming attack boats.
• Naval mines are cheap, lethal weapons deployed via surface ships, submarines, aircraft, or divers, posing a significant threat in the narrow Strait of Hormuz.