U.S. Naval Command Reports Mines in Strait of Hormuz Traffic Lanes, Issues New Routing Directive

U.S. Naval Forces Central Command issued a memo stating that transit via or in close proximity to the traffic separation scheme in the Strait of Hormuz should be considered extremely hazardous due to the presence of mines that have not been fully surveyed and mitigated. The traffic separation scheme consists of two lanes previously used for safe passage.

The command directed vessels to travel through an enhanced security area south of the traffic separation scheme in Omani territorial waters and to coordinate with Omani authorities to ensure safe passage amid anticipated heavy traffic.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters at the Pentagon that vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz currently have access to a secure lane. He added that right now we know we have a lane of safe passage that commercial shipping can flow through.

Hegseth said any follow-on effort if there are mines identified would be something that some of our units could undertake or the world could undertake.

The warning followed an attack on a French cargo ship that highlighted continued risks in the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. Central Command and the ship’s owner disagreed on whether the vessel coordinated safe passage with the United States military prior to the incident. The vessels’ operators have not been publicly identified by the U.S. government.

Minesweeping technology in the Middle East is ‘a very good package,’ according to Caudle. Hegseth spoke to reporters on the same day he outlined the secure lane assurance, one day after the naval command’s memo circulated to vessels operating in the region. No publicly released evidence has documented the origin of the mines.