Washington — The U.S. military is guiding commercial vessels towards a newly designated route in the Strait of Hormuz, a path that has been cleared over recent weeks. The Navy has emphasized that using the typical passage could be “highly dangerous” due to mines allegedly placed by Iran in the strait.
This announcement coincided with the launch of the U.S. initiative known as Project Freedom, aimed at reopening portions of the Strait of Hormuz. Under this operation, U.S. Central Command will work in tandem with commercial ships to navigate a safe corridor through the strait.
During a briefing on Tuesday, the Pentagon presented evidence indicating that Iran had recently deployed additional mines in the Strait of Hormuz on April 23. Reports from March indicated that approximately a dozen Iranian mines were already present in the waterway. Subsequently, the Pentagon assigned MQ-9 Reaper drones to assist in mine-clearing operations in this crucial maritime area.
According to two U.S. officials who spoke to CBS News on the condition of anonymity, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency has also been engaged in efforts to locate mines in the strait.
“It is already well reported that Iran has laid mines in the Strait of Hormuz, though not extensively,” stated Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command, when queried about the number of mines.
“We have been actively addressing this situation over the past weeks by establishing a secure route for vessels to transit safely. We will persist in our efforts to ensure that shipping can proceed without incident,” Hawkins added.
In March, when reports surfaced about the mines, President Trump claimed there was no evidence of such actions by Iran, stating, “we have no reports of them doing so.” At that time, the Pentagon also indicated there was “no clear evidence” of mines being placed in the strait, but recent admissions from the administration have confirmed the existence of some mines.
“I don’t know if people appreciate how outrageous this is,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio remarked during a White House briefing on Tuesday. “That any country would attempt to target commercial vessels or place mines in the water is illegal and unacceptable.”
On April 24, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth cautioned Iran that any further mining activities would breach the ceasefire agreement.
“If there are reckless and irresponsible attempts to lay more mines, we will take action. This would be a clear violation of the ceasefire,” Hegseth asserted.
On Tuesday, when asked about the mine threat, Hegseth stated, “Should any mines be identified, our units or others around the world can take action. For now, we are aware of a safe lane for commercial shipping to traverse.”
Since the initiation of Project Freedom, two U.S. commercial vessels have departed the Persian Gulf. This represents a mere fraction of the 1,550 commercial ships that Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine noted have been stranded in the Gulf.
Hegseth mentioned that “hundreds more ships from various nations are preparing to make the transit,” although neither he nor Caine provided specific expectations for the number of vessels anticipated to pass through in the coming days.
Both officials characterized Project Freedom as a “defensive operation” with a “temporary duration,” distinct from the separate bombing campaign known as Operation Epic Fury. Rubio stated on Tuesday that Epic Fury “is over” and has “concluded.”
Iran has indicated that its threats against the strait are a reaction to the bombing campaign and will persist until the U.S. military lifts its blockade on Iranian ports.
