APRIL 25, 2026
U.S. Navy deploys minesweepers and drones to clear Strait of Hormuz as experts warn effort could take months
The U.S. Navy is conducting mine-clearing operations in the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway through which approximately 20% of the world's oil typically passes. Pentagon officials told lawmakers the effort could take as long as six months to complete. Two Avenger-class minesweepers are en route from the Pacific to the Middle East, and two littoral combat ships capable of mine countermeasures are already in the region.
President Donald Trump announced on social media Thursday that Navy mine sweepers were actively clearing the Strait of Hormuz and ordered the effort to "tripled up" levels. Adm. Brad Cooper, the top U.S. commander in the Middle East, confirmed to reporters that clearing operations were underway but did not provide details. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, when asked about a reported six-month timeline conveyed to lawmakers in a classified House Armed Services Committee briefing, declined to confirm the figure but did not deny it, saying the military would not "speculate on a timeline."
The two USS Avenger-class ships — USS Chief and USS Pioneer — were tracked sailing west from Southeast Asia as of Friday, according to Fox News Digital. Two littoral combat ships already in the region can deploy remotely operated underwater vehicles using sonar to locate mines. The Navy also has explosive ordnance disposal divers, helicopters equipped with sensors, and surface drones towing sonar systems available for the operation. Some mine-clearing equipment can be deployed from land, according to the Associated Press.
It remains unclear whether Iran has actually laid any mines. Iran has referred only to the "likelihood" of mines in prewar shipping routes, AP reported. Fox News Digital reported that multiple outlets have cited intelligence assessments suggesting Iran has laid at least a dozen mines, with some estimates higher. Experts cited by both outlets said U.S. forces must first verify whether mines are present at all. Emma Salisbury, a scholar at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, told AP that Iran's stockpile is estimated in the low thousands, consisting mostly of older Soviet-era models, with some newer Chinese or domestically produced variants. Salisbury said mines are likely resting on the seabed or moored beneath the surface, triggered by pressure or sound.