France 24 is reporting that fighting escalated in the Middle East over the weekend after U.S. airstrikes on Sunday targeted Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz. It said the U.S. instigated the exchange of fire in retaliation against Iran’s new alleged capabilities for firing mines from rockets into the strategic waterway.
The outlet reported that the U.S. military officially resumed its strikes after a month-long hiatus because Iranian forces from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were preparing to “launch rockets loaded with sea mines into the strait.” France 24 noted that Iran’s use of rocket launchers to deploy sea mines would be unprecedented but not implausible, though some analysts remain skeptical.
Some maritime security experts expressed surprise at the U.S. claim, with one anonymous specialist calling the alleged new capability “puzzling.” France 24 said Iranians have typically transported sea mines in small, fast boats, or deployed them via small submarines or low-flying aircraft. Dirk Siebels, a maritime security specialist at Risk Intelligence, described using land-based rocket launchers for this purpose as a “novel method,” a view echoed by former U.S. Naval officer Harlan Ullman, who told Al Jazeera it was “unlikely” due to potential damage to mines upon water impact.
However, France 24 reported that Sidharth Kaushal, an expert at the Royal United Services Institute for Defense and Security Studies, said Iran has been conducting tests with Fajr-5 multiple rocket launchers for this purpose for some time, citing an Iranian state television report from Jan. 2025. Mark Hilborne, an expert at King’s College London, explained that missiles can carry explosives and drop them, with impact minimized by small parachutes.
The outlet said if Iran has indeed begun launching mines with Fajr-5 systems, it would challenge rhetoric from U.S. President Donald Trump and the Pentagon about the destruction of the Iranian navy. Shahin Modarres, an Iran specialist, suggested it would demonstrate Iranian ingenuity. Kaushal added that rocket deployment would be faster, limiting U.S. detection opportunities, though he noted practical drawbacks such as limited mine capacity and precision compared to boat deployment.
Christian Bueger, a maritime security specialist, told France 24 he considers the tactic “rather reckless” and doubts rocket launchers are being used, suggesting it could be “war propaganda” by the U.S. to justify strikes and reassure shipping companies. However, France 24 concluded that whether it is a bluff or a genuine threat, the development highlights the continued effectiveness of mine warfare in the conflict between Iran and the U.S.