U.S. Navy conducted covert operation to clear Iranian mines in the Strait of Hormuz

Over the past four months, the U.S. Navy successfully conducted a covert operation to identify and neutralize Iranian mines planted in the Strait of Hormuz. The initiative involved elite Navy SEAL divers working alongside unmanned surface and underwater vehicles equipped with advanced sonar technology to scan the seafloor and clear the critical oil shipping route.

The operation was largely conducted during nighttime hours to avoid detection while managing the significant risks associated with the explosives. The effort follows tensions earlier this year, when the International Maritime Organization reported that approximately 80 mines had been deployed in the region by Iran to disrupt international navigation. Retired U.S. Navy Captain Bill Hamblet confirmed that the complexity of the mission often necessitated direct intervention by divers to destroy the devices after they were pinpointed by autonomous systems.