CENTCOM Says Strait of Hormuz Fully Cleared of Iranian Sea Mines
In a video update, CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper said a combined U.S. military force involving Navy divers, Navy SEALs and air assets had successfully neutralized maritime threats and cleared the shipping lanes.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Friday that international shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz are fully open after American forces cleared Iranian sea mines from the strategic waterway.
In a video update, CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper said a combined U.S. military force involving Navy divers, Navy SEALs and air assets had successfully neutralized maritime threats and cleared the shipping lanes.
CENTCOM said the mines had been laid by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), declaring the waterway safe for international commercial traffic.
Despite the reopening of the shipping lanes, around 50,000 U.S. troops remain involved in enforcing a naval blockade on Iranian ports, according to CENTCOM. U.S. forces have intercepted and redirected at least 75 vessels that attempted to breach the restrictions.
The command also said U.S. forces have protected and facilitated the passage of nearly 1,500 commercial vessels carrying approximately 750 million barrels of crude oil through the waterway in recent months.
This follows CENTCOM's structural expansions in August 2026, which included launching its first-ever Multinational Attack Drone Task Force and establishing a bilateral AI task force with the UAE.
The Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy corridor connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman, is one of the world's most strategically important maritime routes, with a significant share of global oil shipments passing through it.
Update from CENTCOM Commander: pic.twitter.com/osPbltjJ1C
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) August 28, 2026