WASHINGTON/TEHRAN:
US Central Command said on Saturday that two Navy guided missile destroyers have begun clearing mines in the Strait of Hormuz, as some ships are still unable to pass through the critical waterway despite the ceasefire.
However, the spokesperson of the Iranian military’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters has ‘strongly’ denied the US claim that two ships have transited through the Strait of Hormuz.
The New York Times, citing US officials, reported that Iran is unable to find the mines it laid in the strait of Hormuz and does not have the capacity to remove the explosives, preventing Iran from allowing more traffic through the waterway.
Iran laid mines in the strait of Hormuz last month after the US and Israel declared war against the country, dropping explosives throughout the waterway with small boats. The US was mostly unable to monitor the small boats that were mining the strait, leaving the country uncertain about the location and number of mines in the waterway.
A small number of ships have continued to pass through after being given the go-ahead by Iran, which allowed through vessels from friendly nations that paid tolls.
US officials have said that Iran placed mines in the strait erratically, and may not have marked where it put all of them. Some mines also drifted or moved from their original location, US officials suggested.
Neither Iran nor the US have the capacity to quickly demine the strait, particularly after the US destroyed much of Iran’s navy.
The USS Frank E Peterson and USS Michael Murphy “transited the Strait of Hormuz and operated in the Arabian Gulf as part of a broader mission to ensure the strait is fully clear of sea mines previously laid by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps,” CENTCOM said in a post on X. The destroyers mark the first known US ships to transit the strait since the war began more than a month ago.
“Today, we began the process of establishing a new passage and we will share this safe pathway with the maritime industry soon to encourage the free flow of commerce,” said Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump told reporters on Friday that the US will have the Strait of Hormuz “open fairly soon”, but did not elaborate and acknowledged that it will not be an easy step.
Trump also suggested that other countries were offering help, but did not identify any nation. “Other countries use the strait. So we do have other countries coming up, and they’ll help out,” Trump said. “It won’t be easy … I would say this – we will have that open fairly soon,” he added.
The blockade of the Strait by Tehran since the start of the Iran war has caused the worst disruption to global energy supplies in history. The strait is a chokepoint for about 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.
While the effort attempts to solve the threat from mines, Iran could still launch missiles, which combined with the mines have made it harder for the United States or others to defend vessels or to secure the strait militarily.
(With input from News Desk)
