Navy, allies begin mine-clearing operations in Strait of Hormuz
The United States (U.S.) Navy blockade of the Strait of Hormuz announced yesterday by President Trump will rely on two aircraft carriers and their associated warships deployed to the region
- Blockade takes shape
The United States (U.S.) Navy blockade of the Strait of Hormuz announced yesterday by President Trump will rely on two aircraft carriers and their associated warships deployed to the region during the U.S.-Israel campaign on Iran.
The USS Gerald R. Ford and USS Abraham Lincoln maintain a presence near the Persian Gulf, each accompanied by a strike group that includes three Navy guided-missile destroyers.
“This is world extortion,” Mr. Trump posted yesterday on Truth Social, saying that Iran’s mines in the strait have paralyzed the international community.
“Leaders of countries, especially the United States of America, will never be extorted.”
Two of the destroyers operating in the Persian Gulf passed through the strait on Saturday, the first to do so since the U.S.-Israel campaign began, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).
Both destroyers “transited the Strait of Hormuz and operated in the Arabian Gulf as part of a broader mission to ensure the strait is fully clear of sea mines previously laid by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps,” the CENTCOM said in a statement.
The two ships began moving through the strait as representatives of the U.S. and Iran met in Islamabad, Pakistan, to begin ceasefire negotiations.
Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, said the move “began the process of establishing a new passage” through the strait and the U.S. “will share this safe pathway with the maritime industry soon to encourage the free flow of commerce,” according to the CENTCOM statement.
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Ships from the same carrier strike groups will be used in Mr. Trump’s blockade of the passage. Allied countries will also be involved in the efforts, according to CENTCOM and Mr. Trump’s social media posts.
“At some point, we will reach an ‘All being allowed to go in, all being allowed to go out’ basis,” Mr. Trump posted. “But Iran has not allowed that to happen.”
Clearing the strait of mines may include some of the most recently developed autonomous military assets in the world. The United Kingdom (UK) is preparing to deploy a ship with a fleet of autonomous mine-hunting drone, according to reporting by The Sunday Times in London.
The British Royal Navy ship was retrofitted to act as a “mothership” for hundreds of undersurface drones.
“RFA Lyme Bay preparing for a possible minehunting mothership role is a perfect example of how we are building a Hybrid Navy,” First Sea Lord, Gen. Sir Gwyn Jenkins, said in a statement in March. “One where crewed ships and cutting-edge uncrewed systems work together seamlessly to keep our people safe and our seas secure.”
Fewer details were known about the U.S. Navy’s use of autonomous drones for clearing the Strait of Hormuz, but “underwater drones” are being used in operations, according to CENTCOM.
“We will also begin destroying the mines the Iranians laid in the Straits. Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be blown to hell!” Mr. Trump posted yesterday. “Iran knows, better than anyone, how to end this situation which has already devastated their country.”
