A mined Hormuz would put minehunters under carrier cover

What happens if Iran mines the Strait of Hormuz?

Royal Navy mine-countermeasure ships would likely clear a route under carrier-group protection, with escalation depending on whether Iran attacked them.

The Royal Navy minehunting flotilla already based near the Gulf would be the force most likely to receive the task. Minehunters need protection while they work, and HMS Prince of Wales with her carrier group was described as close enough to provide it. Clearing mines could be framed as a freedom-of-navigation operation rather than an attack on Iran. The escalation threshold changes if Iranian forces actively attack the clearance force instead of merely laying mines or declaring the water closed.