DUBAI, March 23 (Reuters) - An attack on Iran's southern coast and islands will ‌lead to Gulf routes being cut ‌with the laying of sea mines, the country's Defence ​Council said on Monday according to state media.

The U.S. is considering plans to occupy or blockade Iran's Kharg Island, the country's main ‌oil export hub, ⁠to pressure Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to all shipping, ⁠according to Axios.

"Any attempt to attack Iran's coasts or islands will cause all access ​routes in ​the Gulf (...) to ​be mined with various ‌types of sea mines, including floating mines that can be released from the coast," the statement read.

"In this case, the entire Gulf will practically be in a situation similar ‌to the Strait of ​Hormuz for a long ​time (...) One should ​not forget the failure of ‌more than 100 minesweepers in ​the 1980s ​in removing a few sea mines."

The Defence Council recalled that non-belligerent states can ​only pass ‌through the Strait of Hormuz by coordinating ​passage with Iran.

(Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; ​Editing by Toby Chopra)