US CENTCOM commander says Hormuz’s main transit routes clear of sea mines

The head of the US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM), Admiral Brad Cooper, has claimed that the main internationally recognised shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz are clear of Iranian sea mines and that vessels are sailing freely through the waterway.

In a video posted on CENTCOM’s X account, Cooper said he flew over the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week and saw dozens of commercial vessels of all types transiting the waterway.

“Here’s what I didn’t see – I didn’t see the IRGC out there at all,” Cooper said, claiming that Iran’s navy is “all at the bottom of the sea”.

Cooper said that US forces “remain highly vigilant and present to ensure all primary transit routes in the Strait of Hormuz remain free and clear”.

Meanwhile, Iran’s navy says two oil tankers have been damaged and caught fire in the eastern Strait of Hormuz after striking naval mines.

A statement carried by Iranian media said the vessels had been operating in “restricted and dangerous areas” with their tracking systems disabled, “ignoring warnings and established regulations”.

Earlier, the IRGC navy, a separate Iranian force, said two tankers had been “involved in incidents” and halted in the southern waters of the strait after ignoring radio warnings.

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Source of information: Global News Agencies including REUTERS / TASS / AFP / ANADOLU / INT.RU / Al Jazeera / CNN