US clears Hormuz Strait of Iranian mines, secures passage for 1,500 oil tankers

US forces have imposed strict restrictions on vessels associated with Iranian ports, coinciding with the ongoing maritime blockade of Iran. US Central Command (CENTCOM) commander Admiral Brad Cooper announced that his forces have successfully cleared international shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz of naval mines planted by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps months ago.

In a video operations update posted on X, Cooper said US forces turned back 75 ships attempting to breach the blockade and disabled three others for failing to comply with US directives.

He explained that Iran has not exported any oil from its coast since the US resumed the maritime blockade in mid-July, adding that no vessel has entered or left an Iranian port without US authorization. Only ships with humanitarian reasons have been allowed to pass.

Conversely, Cooper said US forces have assisted around 1,500 commercial vessels in transiting the Strait of Hormuz over recent months, providing coordinated protection. These ships carried approximately 750 million barrels of crude oil destined for global energy markets.

Cooper noted that thousands of US military personnel continue to carry out the mission from more than 20 warships and hundreds of aircraft, as part of operations linked to the blockade and maintaining the flow of commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Clearing Hormuz lanes

Alongside the blockade, Cooper confirmed that US forces have, over recent months, completed the clearance of internationally recognized shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz, making them free of naval mines.

He described the removal of mines as a major achievement for the US military in the strait, noting the mission was carried out through precise and discreet operations despite what he called "extremely difficult and dangerous" conditions.

The mine-clearing operations involved US Navy divers and Navy SEALs, supported by US Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps units, with the mission declared complete by US forces.

'Highways' for ships

Cooper explained the nature of the cleared lanes using a nautical chart of the Strait of Hormuz and its surrounding waters, noting that these routes are frequently used by mariners worldwide and define the internationally recognized Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS).

He likened the system to "highways for ships" in the ocean, featuring a dividing line between lanes for vessels moving in opposite directions, helping keep them separated and safe as they transit the narrow waterway.

The CENTCOM commander emphasized that these lanes have historically been used by international shipping to cross the Strait of Hormuz, and that US forces have worked in recent months to remove the mine threat from them. Cooper said the international shipping lanes are now open and that "momentum is building."