The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) says American forces have finally cleared the Iranian sea mines that were clogging up the Strait of Hormuz, months after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) first laid them. The announcement came in a video update on X late Thursday, where Commander Adm. Brad Cooper called it a "major milestone," adding that "international shipping lanes are open and momentum is building."
Cooper shared a nautical chart of the strait and described the mine-clearing operation as a slog that involved Navy divers, special operations forces, air assets, and just about everyone else with a pulse. "The circumstances were challenging and dangerous to say the least, but we got the job done," he said.
This wasn't just a symbolic win. Cooper noted that nearly 1,500 vessels carrying roughly 750 million barrels of crude oil have navigated the waterway in recent months. At the same time, about 50,000 U.S. troops have been running a "highly effective" naval blockade, which has resulted in exactly zero oil exports from Iran. As part of the broader regional effort, which includes over 20 warships and hundreds of aircraft, U.S. operations have turned back 75 vessels and disabled three non-compliant ones amid the ongoing tensions with Tehran.
"No ships have entered or left an Iranian port without our permission, and we have only allowed ships to pass through on humanitarian grounds," Cooper added.
US Naval Blockade Hits Iranian Oil Exports
This all comes against the backdrop of six months of escalating U.S.-Iran tensions. The blockade has hit Iran's oil shipments hard, according to data from Kpler. Iranian oil loadings fell to 248,000 barrels a day in August, a stark contrast to the 1.85 million barrels a day exported between March and April.
Iran's Mohsen Rezaei told Lebanon's Al Manar TV that any U.S.-Iran understanding over the Strait of Hormuz must include an end to military operations in Lebanon, Gaza, and Syria, along with an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon and a halt to attacks on Syria. He stressed that the U.S. must demonstrate its commitment before Iran can rebuild trust.
At the time of writing, Brent crude futures for October were trading 0.4% lower at $88.17 per barrel, while WTI crude futures for October were down 0.5% at $83.11 per barrel.
Trump in No Rush To Restart Iran Talks
President Donald Trump, meanwhile, is taking a more laid-back approach to getting Iran back to the negotiating table. He said he's "not in a hurry" and has "no time schedule" for Iran to rejoin talks aimed at ending the conflict. The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that the Trump administration isn't interested in reviving the June memorandum of understanding with Iran. Instead, Trump is waiting to see whether his economic pressure campaign against Tehran will do the trick.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by MarketDash editors.
