Iran started laying mines in Strait of Hormuz, the world's most important energy point through which about a fifth of the world's crude oil is transported, two people familiar with US intelligence reports told CNN.
They stated that it is not yet on a large scale, because several tens of mines have been placed in recent days, but they pointed out that Iran still has 80 to 90 percent of its small minelayers, so they could relatively quickly place hundreds of mines in the strait.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which now fully controls the strait, has the ability to deploy large numbers of mine-laying ships, according to CNN.
On that occasion, US President Donald Trump also reacted, stating on the Truth social social network that the US military attacked 10 Iranian boats that were trying to lay naval mines.
"I am pleased to report that in the last few hours we have hit and destroyed 10 minelaying ships, with more to come," Trump wrote.
"We are using the same technology and missile capabilities as against drug traffickers to permanently eliminate any ship or boat that attempts to mine the Strait of Hormuz. They will be dealt with swiftly and violently," he added.
The war in the Middle East drastically increased the prices of oil and food, rising prices in Serbia as well
The American-Israeli attack on Iran also caused a significant increase in oil and food prices on the world market.
Oil prices fell sharply on Tuesday, March 10, after US President Donald Trump said the war in Iran would end "very soon." Crude reached nearly $120 a barrel on Monday on fears the conflict would cause prolonged disruptions in energy supplies from the Middle East, but fell to around $90 after Trump's comments.
It is precisely on the length of the conflict in the Middle East and the problems with supplying oil and gas that the prices on the world market, including on the Serbian market, both at the pumps and in stores, will depend.
The state of Serbia publishes the maximum prices of gasoline and diesel once a week, and on the first Friday since the start of the war in Iran, the price of fuel rose by only three dinars, under the controlled state market.
Economist Dragovan Milićević spoke about this topic for "Vreme". He stated that as soon as significant price increases come to the pumps, it will spill over to the shelves in the shops.
"Inflationary expectations are much more important than exactly how much food will become more expensive at the start. It is not only important what the forecasted inflation was, but also what subsequent measures will be adopted. Among them is a possible increase in interest rates, which means less favorable loans for the citizens of Serbia," says Milićević.
Read more about this in a separate text.
Source: FoNet / Vreme
