US EditionClearing Strait of Hormuz of mines could take 6 months, Pentagon tells Congress
Officials said clearing Iranian naval mines could require helicopters, drones and divers, and the disruption may keep oil and gas markets under pressure.
- The Pentagon informed Congress that clearing mines from the Strait of Hormuz could require six months, citing Iran's arsenal of approximately 5,000 devices and limited Western naval capacity to neutralize only a few daily.
- Tehran designated "danger zones" in the funnel-shaped Strait, blocking 20% of global crude oil for seven weeks before negotiating a ceasefire that was reversed on Saturday.
- Washington has historically allocated less than 1% of its budget to mine warfare despite mines causing approximately 80% of warship damage, a vulnerability demonstrated when USS Samuel B. Roberts struck a mine on April 14, 1988.
- Extended disruption threatens rising energy prices and insurance premiums as Tehran maintains an arsenal of "influence" mines designed to threaten maritime traffic in this persistent conflict zone.
- Experts warn that clearing the route requires immediate action, as the Pentagon must rely on existing assets—between six and ten minehunters per navy capable of neutralizing only a few mines daily.
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22 Articles
The Pent gono informs that it may take six months to clear the mines deployed in the Strait of Ormuz by the Iranian Army.
Report: Mines deployed by Iran in Hormuz could take up to six months to clear
According to the report by The Washington Post, members of the House Armed Services Committee were told that Iran may have placed 20 or more mines in and around the strait, including some reportedly deployed remotely using GPS technology and others laid by small boats
Why will this process take longer than expected? Completely clearing the Strait of Hormuz of Iranian mines could take six months. The Pentagon warns that this will lead to high oil and gas prices even after the war ends, according to RBC-Ukraine, citing the Washington Post. Read also: Iranian oil tankers have figured out a way to circumvent the US blockade, according to Bloomberg Pentagon assessment and economic risks As the publication notes, U…
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