'Axeios': US Navy cleared the middle channel of the Strait of Hormuz of mines
- Unmanned underwater vehicles surveyed the area and identified more than 100 objects suspected to be mines
Axios reported on Tuesday that the U.S. Navy cleared the central shipping lane of the Strait of Hormuz of mines, following an operation that lasted several months and involved the use of unmanned underwater vehicles to survey the area and identify objects suspected to be mines.
Politics
Politics
The report came after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. Navy had informed him of the removal or destruction of all mines in international waters of the Strait of Hormuz, emphasizing that Iran had been notified that any ship or boat planting new mines would be destroyed immediately and systematically.
Axios quoted two U.S. officials directly involved in the operation as confirming that the U.S. Navy had cleared the "traffic separation scheme," which is the central lane of the strait located between Oman and Iran.
According to the officials, Iran laid dozens of mines in the central lane during the war, posing a significant risk to shipping traffic.
The report explained that U.S. Navy unmanned underwater vehicles had systematically surveyed the area over the past few months, identifying more than 100 objects suspected to be mines.
It added that the U.S. military had contracted private companies to remove or detonate the mines.
In recent months, the U.S. military had used the southern lane near the Omani coast to transport oil tankers to and from the Gulf, due to the risks associated with the central lane.
Axios quoted U.S. officials as stating that more than 500 ships had transited the strait in both directions through the southern lane over the past 30 days, noting that only about 2 percent of them had been hit by Iranian drones or missiles.
The report clarified that after the central lane was cleared of mines, ships would be able to move in both directions simultaneously through the strait under the protection of the U.S. Air Force, allowing for an increase in the volume of oil that can be exported to global energy markets.
Trump’s announcement coincided with a meeting in Tehran between the foreign ministers of Oman and Iran to discuss navigation arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz. Both sides announced discussions on establishing a temporary, shared navigation lane and clearing the strait of mines, alongside continuing technical talks on a permanent navigation lane and future arrangements for managing maritime traffic.
