'Major milestone': US confirms clearing sea mines laid by Iran in Strait of Hormuz transit routes

WASHINGTON, DC: With the US-Iran war still looming after both sides missed a 60-day ceasefire deadline, the United States military has achieved a "major milestone" by making the Strait of Hormuz mine-free.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Adm Brad Cooper announced Thursday, August 27, that it has cleared all Iranian sea mines along internationally recognized transit routes in the Strait of Hormuz.

The announcement came days after President Donald Trump confirmed the mine-clearing operation and warned Iran against laying new mines in the strategic waterway.

CENTCOM says the Strait of Hormuz is 'open, and the momentum is building'

In a video posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday evening, CENTCOM Commander Adm Cooper said the “US military has achieved a major milestone in the Strait of Hormuz.”

“We have successfully cleared sea mines in the Strait’s international shipping lanes that were laid months ago by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC),” he added.

“Over the past few months, our forces meticulously and quietly cleared them of sea mine threats using a combination of Navy divers, Navy SEALs, and US air power from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps.”

He acknowledged that the conditions were "challenging and dangerous to say the least," but stressed that "we got the job done." "Bottom line, today, international shipping lanes are open and momentum is building."

Cooper said 50,000 US troops were engaged in executing the naval blockade on Iran, while maintaining navigation movement through the Strait of Hormuz.

“Many of our 50,000 troops operating across the region are doing outstanding work executing the naval blockade against Iran, while maintaining the commercial traffic flow through the Strait of Hormuz," he shared.

If, as per CENTCOM claims, Iranian sea mines have been cleared, vessel movement through the chokepoint will most likely be less restricted.

Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy route carrying around 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas, has been severely restricted during the nearly six-month war with Iran, pushing oil and gas prices higher.

According to AAA, the average price of regular gasoline in the US stood at around $4.10 per gallon late Thursday, up from roughly $3.21 a year earlier.

No US-Iran negotiations underway

The development unfolds amid persistent tensions between the US and Iran, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirming that the two countries are not currently engaged in negotiations.

"No negotiations are happening right now and this will continue until the president feels that maybe they come to the table in a meaningful way. We have not seen that yet," Leavitt told Fox News.

She said the US is instead focused on tightening economic pressure on Iran through a White House initiative dubbed “Operation Economic Outcast,” while adding that Trump “continues to retain all options on the table.”

“We’ve had Operation Epic Fury to destroy their military. Now we have Operation Economic Outcast to destroy their economy,” Leavitt added.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the operation against Tehran earlier this week while issuing a global warning for countries to break all financial ties with Iran or risk being barred from the US dollar system