What To Know About Mines In Strait of Hormuz

Since the conflict in Iran began, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) placed mines in the Strait of Hormuz, leading many to ask where, how many, and how to deal with them.

How Many: According to a report by the Washington Post (Lean Left bias), Iran has placed 20 or more mines in and around the Strait of Hormuz. Some of the mines are believed to have been floated remotely with GPS technology, while others were laid using small boats.

Where At: Following the announcement of a two-week ceasefire beginning on April 7, an article by Al Jazeera (Lean Left) highlighted  a map released by the IRGC showing the declared hazard area where the mines were reportedly deployed and a safe route for ships to transit the Strait after paying a toll to Iran. The safe route directed ships much closer to the Iranian coast and away from the traditional shipping route closer to the coast of Oman. However, a New York Times (Lean Left) article said that according to US officials, Iran "cannot locate all of the mines it laid in the waterway and lacks the capability to remove them."

Understanding Iranian Mines: According to The Guardian (Left) Iran is thought to have two main types of mines: the Maham 3 and the Maham 7. Both of these mines are considered modern, meaning that unlike mines of the past, which relied on physical contact between a ship and the mine, these modern varieties utilize magnetic and acoustic sensors to detect nearby ships. Maham 3 is an anchored mine used in waters as deep as 100 meters, while Maham 7 is a bottom-resting mine utilized in shallower waters.

How To Deal With The Mines: To rid the Strait of mines, the US or other involved entities would be engaging in what is known as Mine Countermeasures (MCM). MCM methods could involve minesweeping ships, unmanned ships or submersible anti-mine vessels like the Knifefish, or an airborne mine neutralization system known as the Archerfish. There are also methods utilizing divers to find or disarm the munitions, and even specially trained mine-clearing dolphins could be used. The Washington Examiner (Lean Right) highlighted that the United Kingdom is deploying divers to help with the mine-clearing efforts.

Timeframe: According to the Washington Post, a leaked assessment from the Pentagon stated that it could take six months to fully clear the Strait of Hormuz of the mines. However, according to The Times of Israel (Center), the Pentagon "blasted" the Washington Post report as "false" and "cherry picking." Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell called the reporting "dishonest journalism."

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