Recently, Iran conducted extensive naval exercises during which it showcased the new capabilities of the long-range Fajr-5 multiple launch rocket system for laying mines in the waters.
A video released shows the launch of several rockets, which are claimed to carry sea mines as payload. The precise specifications of the system have not been disclosed, but such capabilities alone warrant significant attention.
The known specifications of the Fajr-5, which features four launch tubes with a caliber of 333 mm, allow it to fire at a range of 68-75 km. The rocket itself weighs 915 kg in a high-explosive fragmentation configuration, with a warhead weighing 175 kg.
The parameters of the mine-carrying munitions are unknown, but it's crucial to understand that the width of the Strait of Hormuz, situated between the Persian and Oman Gulf, is 55 km. This strait serves as the only passage for tankers heading from Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, parts of Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. Therefore, the consequences of its blockage by minefields are exceedingly severe.
While Iran has always had this capability, it previously required the use of ships, aircraft, or helicopters—assets that could be relatively easily destroyed and rendered ineffective. In contrast, employing a multiple launch rocket system for this purpose allows Iran to rapidly mine the area while conducting preparations for this operation covertly.
It is also worth noting that Iran has supplied the Yemeni Houthis with Fajr-5 systems, both in the form of ready-made units and technologies for creating their own models. The establishment of minefields at the exit of the Red Sea in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait (which is 20 km wide) will pose a significant challenge for the somewhat faltering Prosperity Guardian mission, during which the U.S. Navy fired over 200 missiles costing between $4 million and $12 million each.