US allies warn Hormuz Strait is still mined despite Trump claim
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Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has picked up but remains far from pre-war levels.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- US allies doubt President Trump's claim that the Strait of Hormuz is fully cleared of Iranian mines, estimating many remain despite some removal progress.
- Mines have likely shifted positions due to sea currents, complicating clearance and requiring international cooperation with advanced equipment and protection.
- Iran opposes foreign mine clearance efforts, threatening attacks on vessels, while UK and France plan reassurance missions after a sustained ceasefire agreement.
AI generated
WASHINGTON – US allies are privately warning that the Strait of Hormuz is still likely mined, casting doubt on President Donald Trump’s claim that the US Navy has completely removed and detonated explosives laid by Iran.
The US is likely to have made some progress in removing mines in international waters, according to the people, who asked not to be identified discussing internal assessments.
But they believe that de-mining efforts have not cleared all of the estimated 80 to 150 mines laid by Iran.
That assessment challenges Trump’s repeated statements in recent days that the strait has been cleared.
On Aug 25, he called Hormuz “a very functioning strait” and repeated his claim that no mines remained.
“The mines are gone. You probably saw that – we put it out yesterday – all the mines, we got rid of the mines,” he said on The Glenn Beck Programme.
US Central Command (Centcom) on Aug 26 declined to comment on estimates on mines in Hormuz.
Trump has repeatedly insisted the strait is safe, as part of an administration-wide effort to calm energy markets as he looks to end the six-month war heading into midterm elections in November.
Oil prices have eased from their recent peaks but fuel prices have remained stubbornly high.
Fuel cargoes have been sailing through Hormuz relatively less freely than crude, market participants say, adding to a supply crunch triggered by Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian refiners.
Americans are paying more at the pump for petrol than they ever have for this time of the year.
Allied officials believe the strait-clearing effort also has become more complicated because many mines – even those that have been identified and laid in clusters – are likely to have drifted from their original position due to sea currents.
They caution that giving commercial shippers more confidence to transit the strait requires an international effort that combines the use of sophisticated de-mining equipment with air and naval protection.
Allies want Iran to grant Oman permission to launch such a mission in Omani waters to ensure no vessels are attacked.
“It is highly unlikely that all the mines in the strait have been cleared,” said Becca Wasser, Bloomberg Economics defence lead.
“Even if the mine threat was reduced, Iran could still escalate. Numerous commercial vessels are well in range of Iranian drones and short-range missiles – and many are outside the range of US air defence cover.”
Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of Centcom, told Congress in May that US strikes had destroyed more than 90 per cent of Iran’s estimated inventory of around 8,000 mines in storage.
In April, Centcom said two destroyers transited Hormuz “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”.
Trump’s assertions have run up against more than just scepticism from security partners.
Traffic through the narrow waterway has picked up but remains far from pre-war levels, while the US has sought to help send wary shippers along the Omani side of the strait.
The International Maritime Organisation on Aug 26 repeated warnings “to exercise maximum caution and to avoid exposing seafarers to unnecessary risk when considering transit through the Strait”.
Tehran continues to threaten attacks on those that attempt passage without its permission.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said again late on Aug 25 that only the Islamic Republic knows where mines in Hormuz are located.
He said on state TV that any US de-mining vessels “would be excellent targets for our armed forces”.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Omani counterpart Badr Albusaidi have discussed an initiative to establish a “temporary joint maritime corridor” and project for mine clearance, according to a joint statement carried by the Oman News Agency on Aug 25.
Mine-clearing though remains a painstaking and time-consuming process, particularly as Iran has likely laid harder-to-detect Maham mines.
The US Navy is equipped with drones and other autonomous devices for mine detection, but has long been dependent on European allies that have advanced mine-hunting hardware.
The UK and France have been planning for a broader mission to reassure shippers, including de-mining operations, once a ceasefire is agreed and proves sustainable.
US military chiefs plan to meet their European counterparts once a deal is reached to discuss how to coordinate the so-called reassurance mission, instead of through an international conference that the US originally requested, according to people familiar with the matter. BLOOMBERG
