The US military cannot confirm intelligence reports and claims by the country's leadership that Iran has laid mines in the Strait of Hormuz, NBC News reported, citing its sources.
US intelligence believes that Iran laid mines in the strait either before the start of the military conflict in late February or in its early days. US President Donald Trump and US officials have regularly said that Tehran could be laying mines in the waterway, the channel notes.
The military has repeatedly deployed unmanned underwater vehicles and aircraft to search for mines, but has only found "a few objects" that resemble them, with no confirmation yet that they are mines, NBC News notes.
Iran's permanent representative to the United Nations, Amir Saeed Iravani, previously said that accusations against Tehran of laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz were "completely misleading and serve political purposes."
US President Donald Trump said that a potential deal with Iran would require the immediate opening of the Strait of Hormuz, without fees for passage.
„The Strait of Hormuz must be opened immediately, without fees for unrestricted passage of ships in both directions“, Trump wrote in Truth Social.
The American leader also noted that the deal would lift the naval blockade and demine the Strait of Hormuz.
“All ships stranded in the Strait due to our remarkable, unprecedented naval blockade, which will now be lifted, can begin the process of returning home“, Trump said.
Trump has not yet made a decision on a possible new agreement with Iran, The New York Times reported, citing a senior US administration official.
According to the publication, the discussion took place in a meeting in the Situation Room of the White House, which lasted approximately two hours. However, the president has not made a final decision, the newspaper notes.