Iran cannot fully open the Strait of Hormuz due to mines — The New York Times
It is said that many mines in the Bo‘g‘oz area have been installed without their coordinates being recorded.
Iran is unable to fully open the sea route due to difficulties in detecting and neutralizing the mines laid in the Strait of Hormuz. This was reported by The New York Times, citing U.S. officials.
It is noted that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) mined the strait using small boats shortly after military operations by the U.S. and Israel began in March. This led to a halt in maritime traffic in the region and a sharp increase in global energy resource prices. Passage through the strait is only open to ships from friendly nations like Russia and China, and to those willing to pay a toll.
According to The New York Times report, the IRGC has distributed maps of "safe corridors" for navigating the Strait of Hormuz. However, the accuracy of these maps is in doubt. Many mines were laid haphazardly without their coordinates being recorded, and some explosive devices were deliberately set adrift. This complicates their detection and neutralization.
In an interview given to the publication, U.S. officials emphasized that neutralizing naval mines is a much more complex process than laying them. They stated that neither the U.S. nor Iran possesses sufficiently powerful technology for the rapid neutralization of mines. The U.S. military only has coastal vessels with mine-sweeping capabilities, while Iranian forces lack the capability to even quickly neutralize their own ordnance.
The Strait of Hormuz is a strategically vital route, through which nearly 15% of the world's oil and 20% of liquefied natural gas are transported.
The U.S. is demanding that Iran fully open the sea route; otherwise, military operations may resume. Iranian and U.S. delegations have arrived in Islamabad for negotiations. Indirect meetings have currently taken place.
