Iran InternationalAdm. Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command, says internationally recognized shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz are now free of Iranian sea mines, calling the clearance a major milestone after six months of disrupted shipping. But the picture beyond those lanes is far less certain.
US allies told Bloomberg they believe the strait is still likely mined and that not all of the estimated 80 to 150 mines laid by Iran have been removed, with some potentially drifting from their original positions.
Tehran says only it knows where the mines were laid and has warned that US mine-clearing vessels could be targeted. Iran and Oman are meanwhile discussing a temporary maritime corridor and a broader mine-clearance effort aimed at restoring safer passage between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
