US Navy Clears Mines from Strait of Hormuz

President Trump said on Tuesday that the US Navy has cleared all mines from the main shipping lane of the Strait of Hormuz. This announcement comes after a low-key operation by the US Navy over the last several months. The removal of mines will allow significantly more oil tankers to transit the strait, which is a critical shipping lane for global energy markets.

The US Navy used underwater drones to scan the area and located over 100 objects that were suspected to be mines. The US military then contracted with private companies to remove or detonate the mines. The clearing of the strait reduces Iran's leverage over global energy markets and makes a draft agreement between Iran and Oman less relevant. President Trump also stated that any ship or boat placing new mines will be immediately destroyed, and the US Space Force is closely monitoring the strait.

The US Navy cleared the Traffic Separation Scheme, the median lane of the strait that is between Oman and Iran. Over 500 ships have gone in and out of the strait through the southern channel in the last 30 days, with only around 2% of those hit by Iranian drones or missiles. Now that the mines have been cleared, ships will be able to move simultaneously in both directions through the strait with protection from the US Air Force.