Hormuz Strait Mine Clearance Timeline: Six Months of Global Risk Ahead
WASHINGTON — A Pentagon assessment has concluded that fully clearing Iranian‑laid mines from the Strait of Hormuz could take six months, keeping oil prices high and global trade under threat for the foreseeable future, according to the Washington Post.
The strait, through which one‑fifth of the world’s oil and gas passes in peacetime, has been largely closed during a shaky ceasefire. Iran has mined the waterway since the start of its war with the United States and Israel, and the US has imposed its own blockade.
The six‑month estimate was shared with the House Armed Services Committee in a classified briefing. Lawmakers were told Iran may have placed 20 or more mines in and around the strait, some using GPS technology that makes them harder to detect.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell called the Post’s report “inaccurate,” but did not provide an alternative timeline. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have warned of a 1,400‑square‑kilometer “danger zone” where mines may be present.
Meanwhile, London is hosting talks this week with military planners from over 30 countries on a UK‑France led mission to protect navigation once hostilities end. But even in a best‑case scenario, the waterway may not be safe for months.
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