US military starts removing mines from Strait of Hormuz

[Munu]

US military starts removing mines from Strait of Hormuz
The Hill

The U.S. military has launched operations to begin de-mining the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Central Command (Centcom) said on Saturday.

Centcom said in a social media post highlighted by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that two Navy guided-missile destroyers began “setting conditions” for this mission on Saturday morning.

The USS Frank E. Peterson and USS Michael Murphy have previously operated in the Arabian Gulf to help clear the strait of sea mines set by Tehran, according to Centcom.

“Today, we began the process of establishing a new passage and we will share this safe pathway with the maritime industry soon to encourage the free flow of commerce,” Centcom Commander Adm. Brad Cooper said in the post.

The strait is a critical trading corridor, particularly for global energy markets. About a fifth of the world’s oil consumption flows through the passage on a daily basis.

The military operations between the U.S., Israel and Iran have made the journey through the strait perilous, as Tehran launched counterstrikes on U.S. targets and energy infrastructure in the Gulf region. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also laid mines along the waterway.

...

[Goonch]

1. Warships: USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG 121) "Into the Tiger's Jaw "

[Bluestocking]

2. The US broke so the US needs to fix it

What dumbasses

[Kid Berwyn]

3. Why not use mine sweepers?

Oh, right.

The US Navy decommissioned four Middle East minesweepers last year.



https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2026/03/12/the-us-navy-decommissioned-middle-east-minesweepers-last-year-heres-what-they-did/

[leftstreet]

6. What's ridiculous about their demands?

[leftstreet]

10. The Strait is not international waters

It's the territorial seas of Oman and Iran, and there's no exclusive Economic Zone through the center

So that was the starters...

[TomSlick]

16. The Strait of Hormuz is a transit passage strait under Article 37 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Under Article 38, other countries have an almost unrestricted right to sail and fly through under transit passage rules.

The real purpose of the US Navy ships passing through the Straits this weekend was a freedom of navigation operation.

[leftstreet]

17. Yes. But that's Treaty Law

Not International Law

In any case, Iran has been and continues to allow passage of "peaceful ships" to the best of their ability

[TomSlick]

18. I don't understand the distinction. International law often has a basis in treaties.

Iran is violating international law. Trump's idea of a joint venture with Iran to charge tolls would be a violation of international law.

Both Trump and the Ayatollah know that the problem with international law is always enforcement.

[usonian]

5. So maybe the U.S. will charge for piloting a mine-free lane instead of Iran?

Capitalism, comrade!

Iran Unable to Find Mines It Planted in Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Says
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100221164546

Due to a shortage of young men in the Navy (the draft will cure that), an older salty dog has been sent to locate sea mines.



What a complete fustercluck.

[Bmoboy]

8. Or maybe ....

The warmonger US is willing to sacrifice some destroyers to show how "hot" they are.

[WarGamer]

11. Around a dozen mines?

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/iran-has-laid-about-dozen-mines-strait-hormuz-sources-say-2026-03-11/

WASHINGTON, March 11 (Reuters) - Iran has deployed about a dozen mines in ​the Strait of Hormuz, two sources familiar with the matter ‌said, in a move likely to complicate the reopening of the narrow waterway, an important route for shipping oil and liquefied natural gas.

Exports of ​oil and LNG through the strategic chokepoint along Iran's ​coast have effectively been halted by the war launched 12 ⁠days ago by the United States and Israel, helping to ​drive a surge in world energy prices.

[OC375]

12. Inevitable

[Redleg]

13. Trump is in a hurry to get in on the toll collections racket at the Strait

It is just another opportunity to rake in some cash.

[yaesu]

15. About the mines, I really have a hard time believing that Iran would use mines when their fleets have been using the

strait along with ships with permission. Also, this comes from the tRump fascist regime which never should be believed.

[Red Mountain]

19. My understanding is that the ships

allowed to transit follow a fairly narrow path closer to Iran that allows the Iranians to ID them.

The Iranians may have mined the wider parts of the strait.......we simply don't know.

Ship owners also do not know. And the companies that they rely on to provide insurance. They don't know.

So the strait remains effectively closed.