Strait Of Hormuz Reopening Faces Delay As Iran Struggles To Locate Its Own Sea Mines: Report

Amid the ongoing Middle East tensions and diplomatic efforts between the United States and Iran taking place in Pakistan, fresh reports suggest that the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz could face delays, with Iran reportedly struggling to locate the sea mines it had deployed.

According to a report by The New York Times citing US officials, Iran’s limited capability to track and clear the mines is one of the reasons it has not been able to comply with US warnings. Despite the two-week pause in the war, could be its inability to locate the sea mines and, more importantly, remove them.

The development comes as a US delegation led by JD Vance reached Pakistan on Saturday for talks with Iranian officials aimed at reinforcing a fragile ceasefire and working towards a long-term resolution. This marks the first high-level engagement between the two sides since the conflict began more than a month ago.

Washington has been pressing for the immediate reopening of the Strait, with US President Donald Trump calling it a key condition for ending the war. On the other hand, Iran has reportedly sought control over the Strait of Hormuz as part of its proposal, according to AFP.

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The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most critical energy corridors, through which a significant portion of global oil supply passes each day. The Strait of Hormuz has been closed for over a month now as ships fear mines and drone and missile attacks, which has resulted in countries, including India, facing an energy crisis.

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Citing US officials, the New York Times report said, “It is not clear that Iran recorded where it put every mine. And even when the locations were recorded, some mines were placed in a way that allowed them to drift or move.”

The report further added, “The US military lacks robust mine-removal capabilities, relying on littoral combat ships equipped with minesweeping systems. Iran also does not have the capability to quickly remove mines, even those it planted."