Sea mine presence confirmed in Strait of Hormuz waters

US Military to Conduct Mine Clearance Operation in Strait of Hormuz

The US military has announced plans to conduct an operation to clear mines laid by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a statement released on Saturday by Central Command (CENTCOM). The mission will be undertaken by guided missile destroyers USS Frank E Peterson and USS Michael Murphy.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had previously released a map showing what it claimed was a safe route for ships to follow through the strait. The map appears to direct ships farther north towards the Iranian coast, away from the traditional route closer to the coast of Oman.

The stakes are high, as one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies had been shipped through the Strait of Hormuz before the war. Experts warn that even a single mine can be enough to compel operators to assume a wider threat, invalidating insurance and shutting down their use of the waterway.

Naval mines are considered a cost-effective weapon in modern warfare, with sophisticated modern mines capable of being manufactured for tens of thousands of dollars. Iran’s stockpile is estimated to number 2,000 to 6,000 mines, many of which are produced domestically.

The location and placement of these mines are unclear, but military analysts suggest that they may have been strategically calculated to exploit the geography of the Gulf, forcing international traffic into narrow, vulnerable channels. A retired Romanian naval officer noted that the psychological effect of mines is more significant than their physical location, as they can induce a sense of uncertainty and fear in those who must transit them.

The US military’s operation aims to establish a “safe pathway” for the free flow of global commerce through the strait. The mission will be undertaken by guided missile destroyers, with no further details provided on the operation’s scope or timeline.

Source: Al Jazeera