CENTCOM Says Hormuz Routes Remain Clear of Mines

U.S. Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper said primary shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz remain free of Iranian sea mines after U.S. forces cleared international lanes. Cooper made the assessment during an October 25 visit to the waterway, where he flew over it in a U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter and met service members involved in mine-clearance operations. CENTCOM said its forces had cleared mines that the command attributed to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Cooper said the primary transit routes remained free of Iranian sea mines and that U.S. forces were focused on keeping commercial traffic moving with U.S. agencies, Gulf partners and the shipping industry. The command reported that U.S. forces had supported more than 3,000 commercial-vessel transits through the strait over the preceding six months. It also said the United States had assisted Gulf partners in exporting more than 1.5 billion barrels of crude oil since summer 2026. The figures were presented by CENTCOM as measures of activity and support; the supplied reporting does not independently verify them. CENTCOM further said more than 95% of ships navigating the strait had passed through...