Pentagon Says It Could Take Six Months to Clear the Strait of Hormuz

Clearing the Strait of Hormuz of mines could take six months and is unlikely to be completed before the conflict in the Middle East is finally resolved. This is the assessment of the situation in the strait given by Pentagon officials interviewed by The Washington Post.

They estimate that at least 20 mines may be in the waters, some of which are not equipped with geolocation technology, making them difficult to clear. Nevertheless, preparations for the clearance are underway. The British Ministry of Defense reported training military divers to work in the strait. Furthermore, Italy has prepared four ships for deployment to the Strait of Hormuz for a possible mine-clearing mission. The Ukrainian Navy has also offered four of its minesweepers, although all of them are based in the UK.

Meanwhile, Tehran has released a video of the seizure of two vessels in the strait as evidence of its successful control of the key waterway. According to Bloomberg, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has almost stopped. However, it is reported that at least 34 tankers and gas carriers associated with the Islamic Republic have transited the Strait of Hormuz since the US blockade began. The US military has reported intercepting 29 Iranian-linked vessels since the blockade began.