US defence officials have informed lawmakers that removing naval mines from the Strait of Hormuz could take as long as six months, according to a report by The Washington Post.
The assessment was shared during a classified briefing this week with members of the House Armed Services Committee. Officials cautioned that such an operation would likely only be possible after the conclusion of ongoing US-Israel tensions with Iran.
The Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil transit route, has reportedly been mined by Iranian forces. Intelligence estimates suggest at least 20 mines may have been deployed in and around the waterway. Some of these are believed to have been remotely released using GPS technology, making detection more difficult for US naval forces. Others are thought to have been placed using small Iranian boats.
A senior defence official noted that these tactics have significantly complicated mine-detection and clearance operations in the region.
However, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell disputed parts of the report, calling certain interpretations “inaccurate.” He stressed that one internal assessment does not necessarily reflect an operational plan and rejected the idea that a prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz is realistic, calling it “impossible and unacceptable” from the Pentagon’s perspective.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump stated in a separate interview that there is currently “no fixed timeline” for ending the ongoing US-Israel confrontation with Iran.
