The removal of the mines from the could take six months, weighing on the prices of hydrocarbons on a global scale, it estimates in its classified presentation in the American , revealed yesterday, Wednesday, the Washington Post.
The US newspaper cited three unnamed officials as saying that “lawmakers have been told that Iran may have laid 20 mines or more in and around the Strait of Hormuz.”
According to the presentation by a US Department of Defense official, “some were placed in the water remotely using GPS technology”, complicating their tracking. Others “were sunk by Iranian forces with the help of small boats.”
A Pentagon spokesman deemed the Washington Post’s information “inaccurate,” according to her.
There is no reliable information
However, there is indeed little reliable information surrounding the mining of the Straits, through which one-fifth of the hydrocarbons intended for international markets pass under normal conditions.
The Revolutionary Guards, the Islamic Republic’s ideological army, warned in mid-April of a 1,400 square kilometer “danger zone” where landmines could be located.
Last week US President Donald Trump said that Tehran “with the help of the US, has already removed or removed all sea mines”. However, this information was not confirmed by the Islamic Republic.
Shipowners are wary
Even if the Straits are officially reopened from Tehran and Washington, shipowners need clarification on the routes that can be followed and are afraid of these mines, Niels Haupt, a spokesman for German shipping giant Hapag-Lloyd, warned last Friday.
“Non-belligerent” countries have declared in this regard that they are ready for “a neutral mission” to guarantee the security of the Straits of Hormuz.
This precious sea passage is now at the center of the conflict that began on February 28 with Israeli-American strikes against Iran, before a cease-fire between Washington and Tehran took effect on April 8.
According to Tehran, ships must secure permission to exit or enter the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, while the US has blocked access to Iranian ports since April 13.
