Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Says UK and French Mine-Sweeping Warships Entering the Strait of Hormuz Will Be Considered Legitimate Targets
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister stated that the UK and France have been formally informed that any warships deployed to the Strait of Hormuz for mine-sweeping purposes will be regarded by Iran as legitimate military targets and will face a "decisive and immediate response" from the armed forces.
This statement comes amid preparations led by the UK and France for post-war mine-sweeping and escort operations in the Strait of Hormuz, with plans for about 15 countries, including the UK and France, to send mine-sweepers and escort forces to clear mines previously laid by Iran and restore commercial shipping after an agreement is reached between the US and Iran on reopening the shipping lanes.
On the levels of regional security and energy market mechanisms, Iran characterizes the UK and French mine-sweeping and escort operations as "extraterritorial militarization of the Strait of Hormuz" and threatens to target the warships, further raising the military risk premium in the strait: oil and container shipping may face delays in resuming passage or demand higher insurance premiums, and the UK and French naval deployments will need to enhance air defense and anti-ship protection levels, narrowing the space for the US and Europe to maneuver between "ensuring the safety of energy shipping" and "avoiding escalation of direct conflict with Iran."
Source: Public Information
ABAB AI Insight
Historically, Iran has long viewed the Strait of Hormuz as a core bargaining chip in regional and global energy politics: for decades, it has transformed this critical waterway into a frontline in its game with the US and allies by deploying speedboats, mines, and missile battalions nearby; since 2026, the US military has repeatedly strengthened its presence in Hormuz, leading joint "defensive escort and mine-sweeping missions" with the UK, France, and Germany, while Iran has declared that the presence of any non-national warships is an infringement on its sovereignty and security. This explicit designation of UK and French mine-sweepers as legitimate targets is merely an upgraded version of its long-term strategy of "controlling the strait + deterring the West."
From the perspective of capital pathways and energy structure, the Strait of Hormuz is a crucial juncture for global oil and LNG shipping, and every military threat to the security of the strait creates a premium on oil prices and shipping costs: the UK and France's leading mine-sweeping and escort operations aim to stabilize the energy market by restoring shipping, lowering insurance rates, and freight costs, thereby alleviating cost pressures on European and some Asian importing countries due to conflicts in the Middle East; Iran's public designation of these defensive warships as targets increases the risk costs and political complexity of the operations, while also reserving more bargaining chips for itself in future negotiations—if the West desires long-term, stable passage through the strait, it must engage in deeper transactions with Iran on sanctions, nuclear agreements, and regional security issues.
Drawing parallels with historical cases, during the Iran-Iraq War from 1980 to 1988, the tanker war severely impacted Gulf shipping, prompting the US "escort operations" and the presence of multinational warships; now, the UK and France are attempting to form a mine-sweeping and escort alliance outside of US influence, branding it as "excluding the US, Israel, and Iran"; Iran, by listing UK and French warships as legitimate targets, seeks to create political divisions within Europe regarding participation in the operations and to raise their costs militarily—this means that maritime insurance, energy futures, and shipping companies must incorporate the "potential conflict between Europe and Iran" into their pricing models, reinforcing the Strait of Hormuz's status as a "core variable for political risk pricing."
In structural judgment, this is a typical game of "pricing power transfer + capital concentration": in peacetime, shipping prices in Hormuz are determined by market supply and demand and transportation costs; during conflict and mine-sweeping phases, whoever controls waterway security and military deployment holds the bargaining power over shipping and insurance rates. The UK and France are attempting to provide alternative security guarantees for global energy importers through multinational escort and mine-sweeping operations, weakening the US's unilateral dominance over this waterway; Iran, through threats and real military deployments, asserts that "only Iran can guarantee the security of the strait," pulling pricing power back from the Western military alliance to its own deterrent capabilities and bargaining chips—this means for global capital that the political risk of Hormuz is no longer solely linked to US-Iran relations but expands into a multilateral game of "Iran vs. multinational alliance," thus reconstructing the risk premium structure for energy and shipping assets.
ABAB News · Cognitive Law
Once a vital energy route is militarized, shipping prices are no longer a market issue but a matter of the number of warships.
Mine-sweeping is technically a defensive action, but politically it may be seen as a reallocation of control.
Whoever can ensure safe passage through Hormuz holds the microphone for global oil prices and insurance rates.