US Navy Secretly Cleared Iranian Mines from Strait of Hormuz
The US Navy conducted a covert four-month operation using Navy SEALS and advanced sonar drones to clear Iranian sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz, enabling President Donald Trump to declare the shipping lane clear.
The US Navy has covertly cleared Iranian-laid sea mines from the Strait of Hormuz over the past four months in a complex operation involving elite divers, robotic boats, and advanced underwater sonar systems, the Financial Times reported on Sunday.
Iran had previously claimed to have heavily mined the strategic chokepoint to disrupt global shipping. In June, the International Maritime Organization reported that approximately 80 mines had been deployed across vital shipping lanes.
High-Tech Night Operations
According to the report, the operation was carried out under the cover of darkness by small teams of Navy SEALS. The elite divers utilized unmanned surface vessels and autonomous underwater vehicles equipped with high-resolution mine-hunting sonar systems capable of mapping the seabed in extreme detail.
A former US Navy captain described the high-stakes process to the British newspaper:
"Once the system identifies a mine, the most dangerous part of the mission begins. Divers must enter the water, approach the mine, and attach an explosive charge to detonate it."
No US casualties were reported during the months-long operation.
Trump's Declaration and Industry Skepticism
The success of the mission paved the way for US President Donald Trump to unexpectedly declare two weeks ago that the US Navy had successfully removed or detonated all mines in the Strait. Last week, Trump added that US forces were striking Iranian targets near the waterway in response to failed Iranian attempts to lay additional mines.
While shipowners and maritime security consultants expressed optimism that the southern channel near Oman—used by the US to route commercial traffic—is clear, many remain skeptical that the entire strait is completely free of mines.
Shipping Disruptions Persist
Discrepancies also remain regarding oil transit volumes. While the US administration claims millions of barrels of oil continue to pass through the strait daily at near pre-war levels, independent maritime tracking firms report that actual oil shipments have dropped significantly.
Furthermore, even without mines, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) continues to disrupt traffic by targeting unauthorized vessels with missiles and drones, driving up insurance premiums and deterring commercial shipping companies from transiting the strait.
