Clearing Strait of Hormuz of mines could take 6 months, Pentagon tells Congress

Source: WaPo

It could take six months to fully clear the Strait of Hormuz of mines deployed by the Iranian military, and any such operation is unlikely to be carried out until the U.S. war with Iran ends, the Pentagon has informed Congress — an assessment that means the conflict’s economic impact could extend late into this year or beyond.

A senior Defense Department official shared the estimate during a classified briefing Tuesday for members of the House Armed Services Committee, said three officials familiar with the discussion. The timeline — met with frustration by Democrats and Republicans alike, two of these people said — is the latest sign that gasoline and oil prices could remain elevated long after any peace deal is reached.

Beyond any economic ramifications, such an outcome also could have significant implications politically in the United States — particularly for Republicans — as November’s midterm elections draw near. President Donald Trump’s decision to start the war has proved unpopular with most Americans, recent polls have shown, and it has fractured his political base, which voted him into office based in part on his repeated promises to avoid foreign military entanglements and focus more on domestic issues.
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Three officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the discussion’s sensitivity, said lawmakers were told that Iran may have emplaced 20 or more mines in and around the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for the movement of Middle Eastern oil through the Persian Gulf. Some were floated remotely using GPS technology, which has made it difficult for U.S. forces to detect the mines as they are deployed, the senior defense official told lawmakers. Others are believed to have been laid by Iranian forces using small boats.


Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/04/22/iran-hormuz-mines/