CENTCOM Commander Declares Shipping Lanes Mine-Free in Strait of Hormuz

U.S. Central Command Commander Admiral Brad Cooper announced that U.S. forces, utilizing Navy divers, Navy SEALs, and air assets, cleared sea mines laid by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from international shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz. Cooper stated that U.S. forces have provided coordinated protection for nearly 1,500 commercial vessels transporting approximately 750 million barrels of crude oil through the waterway.

Why this matters. Commercial tanker operators and maritime insurers face immediate decisions on whether to resume unescorted transit through Hormuz or maintain elevated war-risk premiums.