US forces have cleared sea mines from international shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz, the commander of US Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper, announced. According to him, the mines were laid months ago by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The operation involved divers from the Navy, Navy SEALs, as well as aircraft from the US Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. Cooper said that international shipping lanes are now open and traffic is gradually increasing.
According to CENTCOM, US forces have assisted the passage of nearly 1,500 commercial ships through the strait in the past few months. They have transported a total of nearly 750 million barrels of crude oil to world markets. The command also claims that thousands of servicemen, more than 20 warships and hundreds of aircraft are involved in the operation.
The United States is also continuing its naval blockade of Iran. According to the US command, since its resumption in mid-July, not a single ship has entered or left an Iranian port without US permission, with the exception of humanitarian cases. CENTCOM claims that 75 ships were forced to return and three were immobilized after they failed to comply with US orders.
On August 28, only seven cargo ships passed through the strait, compared with an average of 15 over the previous ten days, preliminary data from Kpler, cited by Reuters, show. The number may be adjusted, as some of the ships are moving with their transponders turned off.