CENTCOM says Strait of Hormuz shipping lanes cleared of Iranian sea mines

TAMPA - The top U.S. commander for the Middle East said Thursday that American forces have cleared Iranian sea mines from internationally recognized shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz, calling the work a major milestone in the months-long conflict.

Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, said in a video posted by CENTCOM that Navy divers, Navy SEALs and air assets from across the services spent months quietly removing mines laid by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. "International shipping lanes are open and momentum is building," Cooper said.

CENTCOM said U.S. forces have helped nearly 1,500 commercial vessels transit the strait under coordinated protection, carrying almost 750 million barrels of crude oil to world markets. Cooper said Iran has exported no oil from its shores since the U.S. naval blockade resumed in mid-July. Forces turned back about 75 vessels trying to breach the blockade and disabled three that refused orders, according to the command.

Traffic through Hormuz has been far below prewar levels during the nearly six-month war, keeping pressure on global energy prices. AAA put the U.S. average for regular gasoline near $4.10 a gallon late Thursday, up from about $3.21 a year earlier, The Hill reported. Shipping data firms still showed uneven daily tanker counts even after the clearance announcement.

President Trump had said days earlier that mines in international waters were cleared and warned that new Iranian mine-laying vessels would be destroyed. Allied governments had voiced doubts about how complete earlier claims were. Cooper's detailed update is meant to reassure commercial operators and insurers that the recognized traffic separation scheme is free of Iranian mines, while the blockade on Iranian exports continues.