Pentagon: Mine Clearance in Hormuz Could Take Six Months

Washington (ANTARA) - US defence officials at the Pentagon stated this week that it could take up to six months to completely clear the Strait of Hormuz of Iranian military mines.

Reported by The Washington Post on Wednesday (22/4), the statement was an intelligence assessment delivered by the official to members of the US House of Representatives Armed Services Committee on Tuesday (21/4).

However, the official continued, the operation cannot be carried out until the US-Israel-Iran war ends. This means that petrol and oil prices could remain high until the US midterm elections.

According to the US side, Iran has likely placed 20 or more mines inside and around the strait. Some of them were floated from a distance using GPS technology, which makes it difficult for US forces to detect the mines when they are deployed. Other mines are believed to have been placed by Iranian forces using small boats.

The disclosure of this information was made in a closed meeting for parliament members, as acknowledged by Sean Parnell, Pentagon spokesperson, in a statement. He also criticised related reports as “inaccurate.”

“As we stated in March, one assessment does not mean it is reasonable, and a closure of the Strait of Hormuz for six months is impossible and completely unacceptable to the Secretary [of War],” Parnell said, without detailing how long the actual time required would be.

US President Donald Trump said to Fox News on the same Wednesday that there is no “timeframe” for ending the US-Israel war with Iran.