<\/p>\n
The top US commander for the Middle East said that American forces have cleared Iranian mines from the Strait of Hormuz, after Washington\u2019s allies expressed doubts about similar claims by President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n
Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, said in the three-and-a-half-minute video released Thursday night that \u201cover the past few months, our forces meticulously and quietly\u201d cleared the international shipping lanes of mines. The work was carried out by Navy divers and SEALs, as well as aircraft.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe circumstances were challenging and dangerous, to say the least, but we got the job done,\u201d Cooper added in the video, which included a detailed map and a diagram. \u201cBottom line, today, international shipping lanes are open and momentum is building.\u201d<\/p>\n
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US allies, however, have privately warned that the strait, a key thoroughfare for Middle East oil, natural gas and fertiliser, was still likely mined. The dangers posed by mines and attacks on commercial vessels have severely curtailed shipping in the strait since the US and Israel began the war with Iran in late February.<\/p>\n
The US is likely to have made some progress, according to people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be named because they were discussing internal assessments. But they believe that operations haven\u2019t cleared all of the estimated 80 to 150 mines laid by the Iranians.<\/p>\n
American officials rejected that assessment. One person familiar with the US position, who also asked not to be named, said those figures were outdated.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, Trump called Hormuz \u2014 which links the Persian Gulf to global markets \u2014 \u201ca very functioning strait,\u201d while repeating his claim that no mines remained.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the US had guided 130 million barrels of oil out through Hormuz over the past 14 days, according to a post on X. Bessent is leading an effort to try to isolate Iran\u2019s economy with a wave of sanctions and curbs in a bid to force Tehran\u2019s capitulation.<\/p>\n
The Islamic Republic has insisted throughout the conflict it controls the strait, and the status of the waterway has been a key sticking point in on-off talks with the US. Earlier this week, Iran\u2019s military said it reached a revenue-sharing deal on Hormuz with Oman, which sits along the artery\u2019s southern edge.<\/p>\n
\u00a9 2026 Bloomberg<\/p>\n
#commander #declares #Hormuz #shipping #lanes #minefree<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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