[Sea](https://fortune.com/company/sea/) mines are “simple, uncool weapons,” Scott Savitz, a naval marine warfare expert at RAND who was stationed in Bahrain in 2001, told *Fortune*. They predate World War I and haven’t advanced much since; they look like the spiky metal balls you’d imagine from the movies, small enough to slip neatly into a fishing boat and packed with TNT and ammonium nitrate.
But when they go off, they can snap ships straight in half, Savitz said. They have a “much greater effect, typically, than a missile,” and can inflict millions of dollars worth of damage for just a few thousand bucks a pop. And they’re pretty effective too: naval mines [have caused](https://www.strausscenter.org/strait-of-hormuz-mines/) 77% of all U.S. Navy ship casualties since 1950, per the Strauss Center at the University of Texas.
As the 13th day of the Iran conflict draws to a close and with no end in sight, Iran is looking towards old tech to elevate its position in a war that has so far been dominated by hypersonic missiles. The sea mine isn’t flashy, but right now it could be Iran’s most dangerous weapon in the military conflict against the United States.
Bring in the Knifefish UUV, AN/AQS‑20C , ALMDS/AMNS, autonomous MCM systems, spy sonars and other undersea sensing and mapping tech. The area of concern isn’t small but doable.
If only there was sufficient planning in advance…
Tiny-Pomegranate7662 on
So say they manage to slow down shipping and bring the conflict to an end sooner, what does Iran get after that? A mined up export lane and a bunch of neighbors that hate their guts. There isn’t any upside to Iran here – it’s just thrashing for the old regime trying to stay alive.
High_Priestess17 on
They’re using their greatest advantage to their advantage. Who would’ve thought! No clue why the U.S. and Israel went ahead with their decapitation strike before considering these conditions.
wranklos on
Except mines don’t matter that much, it’s drones that can never be eliminated as a threat as shown with the Houthis.
Horror-Research-778 on
good on them, its time that the usa and israel realize they can’t just go around bombing school children to pieces under the guise of freedom.
Crazycook99 on
America playing brute force while Iran is playing chess
RexDraco on
Iran is digging themself a deeper hole than cards against humanity.
Two_Pickachu_One_Cup on
Its Israel not Iran who is playing chess here.
America cannot afford a long war. Iran can and can hurt the global economy in the process.
Israel can and will afford a long war. This war to them is exstitential. A once in a lifetime opportunity to cripple their arch foe. They can’t do it without americas help.
Israel hook line and sinker has suckered an amercian president into a long-time war, just like it wanted. Israel is the true chess master here and the big beneficiary of all of this.
heytherehellogoodbye on
the very same warhawk regime that wants Iran taken out with brute force, are the same regime who destroyed all of America’s green energy progress, thereby forcing us to remain relying on all of our ostensible enemies.
crujiente69 on
*Their only weapon. Its really the only thing they have at their disposal and no one is going to outwardly come to their rescue
11 Comments
[Sea](https://fortune.com/company/sea/) mines are “simple, uncool weapons,” Scott Savitz, a naval marine warfare expert at RAND who was stationed in Bahrain in 2001, told *Fortune*. They predate World War I and haven’t advanced much since; they look like the spiky metal balls you’d imagine from the movies, small enough to slip neatly into a fishing boat and packed with TNT and ammonium nitrate.
But when they go off, they can snap ships straight in half, Savitz said. They have a “much greater effect, typically, than a missile,” and can inflict millions of dollars worth of damage for just a few thousand bucks a pop. And they’re pretty effective too: naval mines [have caused](https://www.strausscenter.org/strait-of-hormuz-mines/) 77% of all U.S. Navy ship casualties since 1950, per the Strauss Center at the University of Texas.
As the 13th day of the Iran conflict draws to a close and with no end in sight, Iran is looking towards old tech to elevate its position in a war that has so far been dominated by hypersonic missiles. The sea mine isn’t flashy, but right now it could be Iran’s most dangerous weapon in the military conflict against the United States.
Read more: [https://fortune.com/2026/03/13/iran-war-sea-mines-strait-of-hormuz-crude-oil/](https://fortune.com/2026/03/13/iran-war-sea-mines-strait-of-hormuz-crude-oil/)
Bring in the Knifefish UUV, AN/AQS‑20C , ALMDS/AMNS, autonomous MCM systems, spy sonars and other undersea sensing and mapping tech. The area of concern isn’t small but doable.
If only there was sufficient planning in advance…
So say they manage to slow down shipping and bring the conflict to an end sooner, what does Iran get after that? A mined up export lane and a bunch of neighbors that hate their guts. There isn’t any upside to Iran here – it’s just thrashing for the old regime trying to stay alive.
They’re using their greatest advantage to their advantage. Who would’ve thought! No clue why the U.S. and Israel went ahead with their decapitation strike before considering these conditions.
Except mines don’t matter that much, it’s drones that can never be eliminated as a threat as shown with the Houthis.
good on them, its time that the usa and israel realize they can’t just go around bombing school children to pieces under the guise of freedom.
America playing brute force while Iran is playing chess
Iran is digging themself a deeper hole than cards against humanity.
Its Israel not Iran who is playing chess here.
America cannot afford a long war. Iran can and can hurt the global economy in the process.
Israel can and will afford a long war. This war to them is exstitential. A once in a lifetime opportunity to cripple their arch foe. They can’t do it without americas help.
Israel hook line and sinker has suckered an amercian president into a long-time war, just like it wanted. Israel is the true chess master here and the big beneficiary of all of this.
the very same warhawk regime that wants Iran taken out with brute force, are the same regime who destroyed all of America’s green energy progress, thereby forcing us to remain relying on all of our ostensible enemies.
*Their only weapon. Its really the only thing they have at their disposal and no one is going to outwardly come to their rescue