Inside the dangerous US mission that cleared Iran’s mines from Hormuz shipping lanes

U.S. Forces Report Successful Clearance of Iranian Sea Mines in the Strait of Hormuz, but Threat Level Remains Severe

In a video briefing released on Thursday, Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), confirmed that U.S. naval and air assets had removed or detonated a series of mines laid by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the Strait of Hormuz. The operation, which spanned several months, focused on the international shipping lanes that form the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) – the primary route for commercial vessels passing between Iran and Oman.

“We have successfully cleared sea mines in the Strait’s international shipping lanes that were laid months ago by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,” Cooper told an audience of military and diplomatic officials. “Internationally recognized transit routes in the Strait are free of Iranian sea mines thanks to the incredible work of the U.S. military.”

How the Clearance Was Carried Out

Cooper described a “meticulous and quiet” effort that employed Navy divers, U.S. Navy SEALs and U.S. air power from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. While the CENTCOM statement did not break down the exact contribution of each asset type, the broader picture aligns with Navy mine‑countermeasure doctrine that blends surface, subsurface, unmanned and manned operations.

“The circumstances were challenging and dangerous to say the least, but we got the job done,” Cooper said. “Bottom line, today international shipping lanes are open and momentum is building.”

Retired Vice Admiral Kevin Donegan, former commander of the Navy’s 5th Fleet, who was not involved in the current operation, explained that modern mine‑clearance typically starts with surface and subsurface vessels, often unmanned, locating and identifying possible mines. Once a threat is confirmed, divers and SEALs – sometimes in combination with autonomous systems – neutralize or destroy the device. “Different sections of a waterway can be at different stages of the process at the same time,” Donegan noted, “with forces neutralizing mines in one area while detection and identification continue elsewhere.”

A defense analyst, Bryan Clark, had previously warned that the Navy was “at a nadir” in mine‑sweeping capability after the retirement of its four Bahrain‑based mine‑countermeasure ships last year. “We’ve moved to unmanned systems that map the seabed and identify potential threats before explosive ordnance teams move in,” Clark said, underscoring the technological shift that underpins the current clearance effort.

Scale of the Operation

According to CENTCOM, U.S. forces have assisted almost 1,500 commercial vessels transiting the Strait in the past months, carrying roughly 750 million barrels of crude oil. “Since the blockade resumed in mid‑July, U.S. forces have turned around 75 vessels attempting to run it and disabled three that failed to comply with directions,” Cooper added.

While Cooper did not disclose how many mines were found or destroyed, an Axios report cited U.S. officials that more than 200 mine‑like objects were swept from the main shipping lane, of which 11 were confirmed as actual mines. The figures highlight the painstaking verification process required to differentiate legitimate mines from debris or other objects.

Remaining Threats and Current Shipping Conditions

Despite the clearance, the Joint Maritime Information Center, through the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), maintains the Strait at a “SEVERE” threat level in its latest advisory issued August 25. The warning notes that mine‑danger areas remain active, with the risk of drifting or uncharted mines still present, especially near the TSS. “Clearance and mine‑surveying operations continue throughout the Strait and commercial traffic is expected to remain below prewar levels,” the advisory states.

Recent incidents illustrate the ongoing danger to commercial shipping. On August 24 and 25, two tankers operating near Oman were struck by unidentified projectiles that sparked fires. All crew members were reported safe, but the incidents underscore the persistent risk of hostile action. The UKMTO did not identify the vessels or the source of the strikes.

Oil flow through the Strait is far below the pre‑war average. Reuters cited provisional Vortexa tracking data showing 5 million barrels per day on Monday, versus more than 20 million barrels per day before the conflict began. Shipping data from Reuters indicate that only seven commodity vessels transited the Strait on Thursday, down from 17 the day before and below the 10‑day average of 15 vessels.

Diplomatic Developments

Iran and Oman have separately announced that they are discussing a temporary joint navigation corridor and a joint mine‑clearance project. The statements, however, do not clarify whether the work would cover the same TSS that CENTCOM claims to have cleared. The lack of a public de‑confliction or joint declaration means that commercial operators may still face uncertainty about which routes are safe.

President Donald Trump, in a recent address, stated that Iran’s naval assets had been “obliterated” amid U.S. enforcement of the Hormuz blockade. While Trump’s comments focused on Iran’s broader naval threat, the CENTCOM announcement provides a more detailed account of the mine‑clearance effort that underpins the U.S. strategy to secure the waterway.

Looking Ahead

Cooper emphasized that the mission is twofold: enforce a naval blockade on Iran and protect commercial passage. “We are pursuing both missions at once,” he said. The clearance of the TSS is a significant step toward restoring commercial traffic, but the continued “SEVERE” threat rating and recent attacks suggest that the Strait remains a high‑risk environment.

The U.S. military has not disclosed further specifics about the systems used during the operation or how individual mines were neutralized, citing operational security. As the region moves toward potential joint clearance initiatives with Iran and Oman, commercial shipping companies will likely watch closely for any official updates that may allow for a gradual increase in traffic.

For now, the Strait of Hormuz remains a pivotal but precarious maritime chokepoint, with the U.S. military actively clearing known threats while acknowledging that the broader security situation is still volatile.