Only Tehran knows where strait’s mines remain, Iran official says
The U.S. military said it has cleared Iranian sea mines from the international shipping lanes of the Strait of Hormuz, a step President Trump has framed as restoring freedom of navigation through the vital energy route. Iran immediately disputed the claim, which could not be independently verified.
Central Command commander Adm. Brad Cooper announced the development in a video posted online, saying the U.S. military had “achieved a major milestone” in the strait. “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. Internationally recognized transit routes in the strait are free of Iranian sea mines, thanks to the incredible work of the U.S. military,” Cooper said.
The announcement came a day after Trump said on his Truth Social platform that he had been informed the mines had been cleared by the U.S. Navy. “Iran has been notified that any ship or boat placing new mines will be immediately and systematically destroyed,” Trump said, adding, “Through Space Force, we are watching every square inch of the Strait. There is Zero Tolerance policy on mine placement in full force and effect.”
Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, refuted the claim, saying only Iran knows where the mines are, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency. “The Strait of Hormuz is closed both because of the presence of mines and because of our military actions. If America is making this claim, why is not a single vessel passing through?” Gharibabadi asked. “These remarks are propaganda intended to create calm in global energy markets. No one has accepted these claims,” he said.
The strait has been a focal point of the U.S. conflict with Iran, which began Feb. 28 when the United States and Israel attacked Iran. According to the report, the United States launched the conflict with stated goals of preventing Tehran from securing a nuclear weapon and pursuing a change in government. The Trump administration has since centered its stated objective on regaining freedom of navigation through the chokepoint, which Iran has restricted using military drones, missiles and mines since the conflict began. Iran has been fighting to maintain its ability to oversee ships transiting the strait.
Trump has maintained for months that the strait is open, even as the number of ships making it through each day has dwindled from about 140 vessels to only a handful.
Gharibabadi’s comments centered on a proposed framework for the strait between Iran and Oman, a provision of which concerns the implementation of a joint project to clear the strait of mines, according to the report.