India, March 31 -- US intelligence reports Iranian deployment of naval mines in Strait of Hormuz

Mines could threaten shipping alongside missiles and drones

Modern mines use magnetic, acoustic and pressure sensors to target vessels

Detection and clearance remain slow, complex and resource-intensive

AI and machine learning are increasingly used to identify mines via sonar

United States intelligence officials have assessed that Iranian forces have deployed a small number of mines in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical choke point for global shipping, according to reports. The move gives the Iranians a means, along with missiles and drones, of threatening ships.

The US Navy recently decommissioned the minesweeping vessels that it had oper...