Secret U.S. Operation Revealed: Navy SEALs Spent Months Clearing Iranian Mines From Strait of Hormuz
The United States secretly conducted a months-long high-risk mine-clearing operation in the Strait of Hormuz, using Navy SEALs, naval divers, robotic vessels and underwater systems to locate and neutralize Iranian sea mines placed in or near internationally recognized shipping lanes, according to reporting by the Financial Times.
The operation was conducted largely at night, with small teams operating from rigid-hull inflatable boats while unmanned surface vessels and underwater systems equipped with sonar were used to search the seabed for suspected mines.
Once mines were identified, divers could approach the devices and attach explosive charges, while robotic systems could also be used to neutralize mines without exposing personnel directly to the threat.
The operation reportedly continued for several months as Washington attempted to reopen the strategic waterway while avoiding the use of large conventional minesweeping vessels, which could have presented easier targets amid the ongoing confrontation with Iran.
The U.S. military later publicly confirmed that its forces had cleared internationally recognized shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz of Iranian naval mines. CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper said Navy divers, special operations forces and aircraft from across the U.S. military had participated in the operation.
According to CENTCOM, U.S. forces subsequently helped facilitate the passage of nearly 1,500 commercial vessels carrying almost 750 million barrels of crude oil through the waterway. However, shipping data indicated that traffic remained significantly below normal levels, suggesting that the mine-clearing operation did not eliminate the broader security risks facing commercial shipping.
The situation escalated again after the United States later struck Iranian mine-laying capabilities on Larak Island, with Washington saying the targets were linked to preparations to deploy additional sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
The operation highlights a wider strategic confrontation over control of the Strait of Hormuz, where the threat of mines, missiles and drones has become a major factor restricting global commercial shipping and energy flows.
The situation remains highly fluid. Details surrounding the mine-clearing operation, the exact number and locations of mines neutralized, and the current security status of the entire Strait have not been independently verified in full. U.S. statements refer specifically to the internationally recognized shipping lanes, rather than declaring the entire waterway permanently free of mines.