Iran trapped in its own trap, laid landmines in Hormuz and forgot its location, now it is impossible for tankers to escape.

News India Live, Digital Desk: A news has come from the battlefield of West Asia which has surprised the defense experts of the whole world. Amidst the ongoing tension between America and Iran, it is being claimed that Iran itself has forgotten the exact location of the naval mines which it had laid in the ‘Strait of Hormuz’. This negligence has not only endangered global oil supplies but also raised questions over Iran’s own naval capabilities. Now the situation is such that the passage of any ship through this route has become like a ‘suicide mission’.

Negligence or strategic mistake? ‘Dark Fleet’ spoiled the game

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) had ‘indiscriminately’ laid mines using small boats to block this vital waterway. Usually, when laying mines, an accurate map of them is prepared, but due to Iran’s decentralized command, no written records were kept. Now, due to tides and sea waves, these mines have shifted from their place, due to which the entire area has become an ‘invisible death trap’.

$20 lakh toll and drama of alternative routes

To hide its helplessness in not being able to remove its own laid mines, Iran is now forcing ships to adopt ‘alternative routes’. Iran has announced that ships that want to pass through safe waters near its coast will have to pay a hefty ‘security fee’ or toll of $2 million (about Rs 16 crore). International experts believe that this could also be a deliberate move by Iran so that it can make arbitrary recovery on the world’s busiest oil route.

Threat of ‘oil choke’ deepens on global economy

About 20% of the world’s crude oil passes through this route. The news of forgetting the location of mines has created a stir in the international market and crude oil prices are approaching $ 100 per barrel. US President Donald Trump has already warned that if Iran does not secure this route, the US Navy will launch ‘mine-sweeping’ operations, which could directly provoke further war. At present, more than 150 oil tankers are standing in the middle of the sea waiting for the way to be cleared.