The U.S. military is developing plans to target Iran's defenses around the Strait of Hormuz if the current ceasefire collapses, according to a new report.
Citing multiple sources familiar with the matter, CNN reported that the plans under discussion include strikes against Iranian fast-attack boats, minelaying vessels, coastal defense systems, and other assets that have helped Tehran restrict movement through the Strait of Hormuz.
A Defense Department official told CNN that, for operational security reasons, the Pentagon does not discuss "future or hypothetical movements," but noted that the military continues to provide the president with options and that "all options remain on the table."
The contingency planning comes as President Donald Trump faces a fragile ceasefire with Iran and mounting pressure to reopen a waterway that carries a major share of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas. On Friday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. blockade on Iran is "going global" and that no vessel would sail from the Strait of Hormuz "to anywhere in the world without the permission of the United States Navy."
Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the U.S. Central Command is enforcing a blockade on Iranian ports and had turned around 34 ships as of Friday morning. He said U.S. forces were prepared to intercept vessels heading to or from Iranian ports, regardless of nationality. Hegseth also warned that any Iranian effort to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz would violate the ceasefire.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most important energy chokepoints, carrying roughly 20% of global oil flows. Disruption there has already rattled fuel markets and shipping routes. Fears of Iranian attacks have effectively shut the passage for most shippers, disrupting global energy markets and pushing up U.S. gasoline prices. The U.S. is also imposing a blockade on Iranian ships, largely bringing transit there to a standstill.
The International Energy Agency has warned that even a short disruption of the Strait of Hormuz would have major consequences for oil markets, and according to The Washington Post, the Pentagon has told members of Congress that fully clearing the Strait of mines could take as long as six months.
According to CNN, the new U.S. planning would shift the military focus closer to the strategic waterways after earlier strikes concentrated on targets deeper inside Iran. Sources told the network that strikes near the strait alone would be unlikely to immediately reopen shipping lanes, especially if commercial tanker operators remain afraid of attack. Reuters reported this week that Iran seized vessels in the Strait of Hormuz after the U.S. called off renewed attacks, underscoring how quickly the ceasefire could unravel.
