2 hrs ago
Report: US Navy SEALs Conducted Secret Strait Mine-Clearing Mission
US Navy SEAL divers reportedly spent four months looking for mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
Mines are underwater explosives that can damage or sink ships.
The divers worked with robots, unmanned boats, and special sonar equipment.
They often operated at night during fighting involving the United States and Iran.
The goal was to make the waterway safer for commercial ships.
Iran said it had placed mines in international and Omani waters.
A maritime organization estimated that about 80 mines were in important shipping routes.
President Donald Trump said all mines in international waters had been removed or destroyed.
However, the White House and the Department of Defense have not publicly discussed the reported covert mission.
US special forces reportedly spent four months clearing suspected mines from the Strait of Hormuz.
The Financial Times reported that Navy SEAL divers used unmanned vessels, robots, and underwater equipment, often at night.
Iran has claimed it placed mines in international and Omani waters after the war began.
The International Maritime Organization estimated that about 80 mines had been deployed along important shipping routes in June.
President Donald Trump said all mines in the strait’s international waters had been removed or destroyed, while the White House and Department of Defense have not commented on the reported operation.
- Who
- United States Navy SEAL divers and other US special forces reportedly conducted the operation; Iran was identified as having claimed responsibility for placing mines.
- What
- A reported four-month covert mission used divers, unmanned vessels, robots, and specialized underwater equipment to locate and destroy suspected mines.
- Where
- The Strait of Hormuz, including international and Omani waters.
- When
- The operation reportedly lasted four months, while President Donald Trump made his public statement the previous week and the International Maritime Organization issued its estimate in June.
- Why
- The reported objective was to clear mines and make the strait safer for commercial shipping.
Reported Mission Took Place
Official Details Remain Unconfirmed
Evidence of mine clearance
Reported Mission Took Place
People familiar with the mission told The Financial Times that US Navy SEAL divers used underwater equipment and unmanned systems to locate and destroy suspected Iranian mines.
Official Details Remain Unconfirmed
The White House and the United States Department of Defense had not publicly addressed the reported covert operation.
Status of the waterway
Reported Mission Took Place
Donald Trump said all mines in the Strait of Hormuz’s international waters had been removed or destroyed, a claim later confirmed by the American military.
Official Details Remain Unconfirmed
The article notes that reports showed three US vessels normally assigned to Gulf mine-countermeasure operations had been operating in the Indian and Pacific oceans since at least early June, creating questions about how the operation was conducted.
Key facts
- Reported operation
- A covert US mine-clearing mission reportedly lasted four months.
- Equipment used
- Navy SEAL divers worked with unmanned surface vessels, submersibles, robots, and specialized sonar equipment.
- Operating conditions
- Small dive teams reportedly often worked at night during ongoing exchanges of strikes.
- Estimated mines
- The International Maritime Organization estimated in June that roughly 80 mines had been deployed along important shipping routes.
- Iran’s claim
- Iran claimed to have placed mines in international and Omani waters.
- Trump’s statement
- Donald Trump said all mines in the strait’s international waters had been removed or destroyed.
- Official response
- The White House and the United States Department of Defense had not commented on the reported covert operation.
Quotes
Bill Hamblet
Retired US Navy captain who described the mine-destruction process
“That is usually followed up by a Navy diver who’s got to get in the water and approach the mine, and then put a charge on it and destroy it.”
firstpost.com
Nitya Labh
Associate fellow at Chatham House who commented on the operation’s demands
“It is an extremely time-consuming process”
firstpost.com
Sources
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