Centcom chief says Hormuz shipping lanes cleared of Iranian mines

The commander of US Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper, announced on Thursday that the Strait of Hormuz has been cleared of Iranian sea mines, enabling nearly 1,500 commercial vessels to pass through the crucial waterway. In a video message, Admiral Cooper stated that US forces, including Navy divers, special operations teams, and aircraft, had worked to restore the traffic separation scheme.

He emphasized that international shipping lanes are now open and momentum is increasing. The vessels helped by the US carried roughly 750 million barrels of crude oil headed for global markets. Admiral Cooper also noted that Iran has not exported any oil from its coastline since the US resumed a naval blockade in mid-July in mid-July.

In addition to clearing the mines, US forces have intercepted about 75 vessels attempting to circumvent the blockade and disabled three that failed to obey commands. The US aims to boost commercial traffic through the Strait, a vital link for global energy supplies that has been largely disrupted since the conflict with Iran began.

However, shipping data indicate that traffic remains well below normal levels. On Wednesday, only ten commercial vessels transited the strait, according to Kpler data cited by Reuters, compared to an average of about 15 over a 10-day period. Oil flows remain a small fraction of the over 20 million barrels per day that passed through the strait prior to the conflict.