A man watches a small boat pass between cargo vessels anchored in the Strait of Hormuz near Bandar Abbas, Iran, on Saturday (local time). [AP]
A man watches a small boat pass between cargo vessels anchored in the Strait of Hormuz near Bandar Abbas, Iran, on Saturday (local time). [AP]

The US military has declared that Iranian mines have been cleared from the main shipping lanes of the Strait of Hormuz, even as crude oil volumes transiting the Persian Gulf are seen recovering to pre-war levels.

CENTCOM commander Gen. Brad Cooper made the declaration Sunday (local time) while conducting an aerial inspection of US forces in the strait aboard a CH-47 Chinook helicopter, according to CENTCOM, which oversees US military operations in the Middle East.

"Thanks to the incredible efforts of our service members, the primary transit corridor through the Strait of Hormuz remains safe and free of Iranian mines," Cooper said. He added that US forces would "continue to focus intensely" on keeping commercial shipping moving in coordination with relevant US government agencies, the Gulf Cooperation Council and partners in the maritime industry.

CENTCOM also said it had helped more than 3,000 commercial vessels transit the strait safely over the past six months, facilitating the transport of more than 1.5 billion barrels of crude oil. "Despite unlawful attacks by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, more than 95 percent of vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz have navigated safely," the US military said. "This clearly demonstrates that the United States and regional partners are in control of international waterways."

Despite the US declaration that mines have been cleared from the strait's main trade routes, concerns in the shipping industry have not subsided. Tankers have increasingly turned off their location signals and engaged in "shuttle voyages" — transferring crude oil in waters near Oman at the mouth of the Persian Gulf — and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has been striking any tanker spotted in the strait with missiles or drones.

There are also doubts about the US claim that all mines have been removed. Reports emerged as recently as Friday that two oil tankers had been damaged after coming into contact with mines.


kate01@heraldcorp.com