'Caught Red-Handed': Ex-US Envoy Claims Iran Tried To Lay Mines In Strait Of Hormuz Amid Ceasefire

Last Updated:May 27, 2026, 08:33 IST

Nathan Sales says Iran was caught laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz as US calls its strikes defensive, Iran warns of consequences, tensions rise despite ongoing ceasefire talks

Former US ambassador-at-large for counterterrorism Nathan Sales has claimed that Iran was “caught red-handed" while allegedly attempting to lay mines in the strategically crucial Strait of Hormuz, accusing Tehran of repeatedly violating the fragile ceasefire in the region.

Speaking to Fox News, Sales alleged that Iran had continued ceasefire violations since the truce began and said recent US military strikes were carried out in response to what Washington viewed as direct threats from Tehran.

“If there’s anybody who knows something about violating the ceasefire, it’s the Iranian regime," Sales said.

“They’ve been violating it since day one, and the reason the United States took strikes yesterday is that we caught the Iranians red-handed," he added.

“They were trying to lay mines to block the Strait of Horbus, and they were threatening our forces. So, this was entirely in self-defence. If the Iranians are concerned about the fragility of the cease-fire, they can take a good look in the mirror," he added.

US STRIKES ‘DEFENSIVE’, SAYS MILITARY

According to an Associated Press report, the US military described Monday’s strikes in southern Iran as “defensive" in nature.

The report said the targets included missile launch sites and minelaying boats, while Washington maintained that it acted with “restraint" amid the ongoing ceasefire.

The strikes marked another escalation in tensions despite negotiations continuing over a possible broader agreement to end the conflict and reopen regional trade routes.

Iran, however, sharply criticised the attacks and accused Washington of acting in “bad faith and unreliability," according to AP.

Tehran’s foreign ministry described the strikes as a violation of the ceasefire and warned the United States that it would bear responsibility for “all consequences."

“The Islamic Republic of Iran will leave no act of aggression unanswered," the Iranian foreign ministry said in a statement, as cited by AP.

IRAN CLAIMS DRONES, JET ENTERED AIRSPACE

The AP report also said Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claimed on Tuesday that it had shot down at least one drone and deterred another drone and a fighter jet that allegedly entered Iranian airspace.

Iran’s official Mizan news agency carried the statement, though it did not specify when the incidents took place.

Meanwhile, Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, used remarks tied to the annual Hajj pilgrimage to issue a warning connected to the regional conflict.

Khamenei said other Middle Eastern nations “will no longer serve as a shield" for US military bases in the region.

Iran has previously objected to the presence of American military installations across the Middle East and has targeted them in past confrontations.

TALKS CONTINUE AMID STRAIT OF HORMUZ CRISIS

Negotiations linked to extending the ceasefire and reopening the Strait of Hormuz remain ongoing.

AP reported that Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi departed Qatar, where discussions had been taking place, though Iranian state television did not provide details regarding the next steps.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said talks on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and extending the ceasefire could “take a few days."

The Strait of Hormuz remains central to the crisis.

Before the war, nearly one-fifth of the world’s crude oil and natural gas shipments passed through the narrow waterway off southern Iran.

Once fighting intensified, Tehran effectively closed the strait, disrupting global energy markets, stranding hundreds of vessels and affecting fertiliser supplies worldwide, according to the report.

Iran has since allowed limited commercial movement through the waterway.

The Revolutionary Guard Navy said 25 oil tankers, container ships and other vessels were permitted to pass through the strait in the previous 24 hours, AP reported, though that remains significantly below pre-war traffic levels of over 100 ships daily.

Separately, Iranian authorities have begun partially restoring internet access following what AP described as one of the country’s longest nationwide shutdowns.

The blackout had reportedly caused severe economic losses and disrupted communication between Iranians and their relatives abroad.

In another major development, Iran executed a man accused of spying for Israel.

The Iranian judiciary identified him as Gholamreza Khani Shakarab and alleged he had worked with Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency.

Rights groups, however, have repeatedly criticised Iran’s judicial system, saying defendants in such cases often face closed-door trials and coerced confessions, according to AP.

News world 'Caught Red-Handed': Ex-US Envoy Claims Iran Tried To Lay Mines In Strait Of Hormuz Amid Ceasefire

Read More