During the 2026 military campaign against Iran, as American and Israeli forces struck Iranian military targets, the regime responded with one of its most potent survival tools: naval mines.

In March 2026, Iranian forces laid approximately a dozen influence mines in the Strait of Hormuz. American forces subsequently destroyed at least 16 Iranian minelaying vessels. Yet Iran still possesses hundreds to thousands of speedboats and submersibles, backed by an arsenal of 2,000 to 6,000 naval mines.

The mines currently in play represent a major evolution from the simple contact mines used during the 1980s Tanker War. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy is deploying Maham-3 anchored mines, each weighing 300 kilograms and operable in waters up to 100 meters deep. It has also laid Maham-7 bottom mines weighing 220 kilograms for shallower waters. Both types are sophisticated influence mines fitted with magnetic, acoustic, and pressure sensors.

Unlike older contact mines that required direct impact, these detonate when a target comes within range, without physical contact. This........

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