Trump Seeks Resolution as U.S. Navy Confronts Mine Threats in Strait of Hormuz

The agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz has sparked optimism that global oil flows will resume, a prospect President Trump highlighted on Sunday as he moved to avert a looming energy crisis.

However, the path to restoring ship traffic remains complex. A primary concern is whether Iranian forces deployed naval mines and, if so, how efficiently they can be located and neutralized.

It remains uncertain if any mines were actually laid, as numerous vessels have traversed the strait during the conflict without incident. While U.S. Central Command reported attacking 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels in March, the effectiveness of those strikes remains unclear.

On Monday, President Trump stated the strait is “already partially opened” and noted that operations are underway to “hunt for a couple of mines.” He is expected to request assistance from European allies, suggesting that additional mine-clearing vessels from partner nations would be beneficial.

Britain indicated last month its readiness to deploy mine-hunting drones as part of a multinational security mission. Similarly, French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed that France is prepared to dispatch mine-clearing ships within days of a confirmed peace agreement.

Prior to the conflict, U.S. intelligence estimated Iran’s arsenal included 5,000 mines, ranging from simple floating models to advanced seafloor weapons that utilize sophisticated sensors to target ships.

To secure the waterway, the U.S. Navy is employing a multi-layered approach, utilizing aerial surveillance and surface and deep-sea sweeps. While naval mines have historically been devastating, the Navy is now relying heavily on drone technology as a countermeasure.

The U.S. has largely decommissioned its wooden-hulled Avenger-class minesweepers, which were designed to avoid triggering mines. These have been replaced by steel-hulled littoral combat ships. Rather than entering minefields directly, these vessels deploy helicopters and drones to conduct reconnaissance.

Scott Savitz, a senior engineer and professor at RAND and former Navy mine warfare official, noted a critical limitation of the new fleet: “The littoral combat ship has a key problem… It can’t enter a minefield.”

Savitz further explained that modern mines have evolved into high-tech weapons that are significantly harder to detect than older models. Some can sense sweeping equipment and sink deeper to avoid being cut loose, while others feature “ship counters” that detonate after a specific number of vessels pass, creating chaos for convoys.

In response, the Navy has integrated various unmanned systems. Following the recent rescue of an Apache helicopter crew by a drone boat, the Navy is utilizing the Common Unmanned Surface Vehicle for sweeping and the “Knifefish” for high-resolution sonar imaging.

However, the process remains tedious. Savitz noted the difficulty of distinguishing mines from rock formations, maritime debris, and centuries of sunken wreckage in crowded shipping lanes.

The Navy also employs autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) that map the seafloor using side-scanning sonar. Divers program search grids into these torpedo-like devices, which then navigate the seabed independently. The resulting data is compiled into a comprehensive image for analysis.

Any suspicious objects are further investigated using Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) equipped with cameras and gripper arms to place explosive charges on confirmed mines.

In the most hazardous cases, Navy explosive ordnance disposal technicians must dive manually. Using specialized gear to minimize their acoustic and magnetic signatures, these divers locate targets in murky waters to either recover them for intelligence or destroy them in place.

The most dangerous assignments involve “influence-fired” mines—bottom-dwelling weapons triggered by magnetic, seismic, or pressure sensors. In these high-risk scenarios, divers are trained to operate alone and without safety lines, a protocol based on the grim logic that it is better to lose one sailor than two in the event of a detonation.

The extreme danger of this work was recognized after the 1991 Persian Gulf war, when technicians who cleared influence-fired mines were awarded Bronze Stars for valor.

Pentagon officials stated Monday that it is too early to determine the fate of the 50,000 U.S. troops currently assigned to the Iran mission across the Middle East, Europe, and the U.S.

The majority of these forces, including two aircraft carriers and numerous fighter jets, will remain on standby for several days while the administration evaluates the stability of the reopening deal.

If the agreement holds, the Pentagon will likely begin a gradual redeployment of thousands of personnel, including the 82nd Airborne Division and special operations forces. However, if tensions rise or the deal fails, the U.S. military presence will persist.

“We’ll make sure the military option is there,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told CBS News’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “That military might will stay as long as necessary.”

Source link