Financial Times: US Navy carried out dangerous operation to clear mines in Hormuz
The Financial Times revealed that the U.S. Navy conducted a four-month secret operation to clear mines from the Strait of Hormuz, employing Navy SEAL divers, robotic boats, and specialized submersible vehicles, with most missions carried out at night and underwater.
Citing individuals familiar with the operation, the report stated that the mission aimed to clear sea lanes after mines became one of the primary deterrents preventing ships from using the strait since the outbreak of the war last February.
Tehran has claimed since the start of the conflict that it laid mines in international and Omani waters within the strait, while the International Maritime Organization reported in June that approximately 80 mines had been placed in vital shipping lanes.
Last week, President Donald Trump announced that “all mines” in the international waters of the strait had been removed or detonated, a claim confirmed by U.S. forces, despite doubts held by shipowners and security advisors that the entire strait had been cleared of mines.
Bill Hamplett, a retired U.S. Navy captain, stated that the most dangerous phase began after a mine’s location was identified, when a diver would enter the water, approach the device, place an explosive charge, and destroy it. No U.S. casualties directly linked to this operation have been recorded.
The newspaper reported that shipowners and security advisors believe the southern half of the strait near the Omani coast—the route the United States guides ships to use—has been effectively cleared, but they doubt that the entire strait is free of mines.
The mere risk of mines, even without confirmed presence, has kept shipping companies hesitant and driven insurance costs to levels up to ten times higher than before the war, potentially raising the insurance cost for a supertanker to around $10 million.
Tehran rejected the U.S. narrative regarding the removal of mines. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi stated in late August that “no one except Iran knows the locations of these mines.”
In response, the Joint Maritime Information Center, run by the U.S. Navy, confirmed that the risk of drifting or unregistered mines remains.
The newspaper added that the greatest challenge is not only removing existing mines but also preventing their re-laying. On August 30, the U.S. military struck Iranian missile platforms, reportedly preparing to launch naval mines into the strait.
Hamplett said that Tehran’s “strongest card” lies in convincing the world of its ability to threaten and control the strait, whereas Washington does not need to prove the removal of every mine, but rather needs to restore sufficient confidence to allow navigation to resume.
