Chernihiv minesweeper 2012 G1.jpg
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According to the New York Times, Iran has been unable to open the Strait of Hormuz to more shipping traffic because it cannot locate all of the mines it placed in the waterway and cannot remove them, according to US officials.
This statement could be true or not. It’s more believable than most of Iran’s statements. They did say last week that they had technical difficulties opening the strait. The carelessly laid mines were the alleged technical difficulties.
Iran used small boats to mine the strait last month. It’s almost impossible to track them all, and the US hasn’t been able to blow up every small boat. Even if they could, it’s easy to build new ones.
Iran left a path through the strait open, allowing ships that pay a toll to pass through.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps has issued warnings that ships could collide with sea mines. Semiofficial news organizations have published charts showing safe routes.
Those routes are limited in large part because Iran mined the strait haphazardly, US officials said. It is not clear where Iran recorded every mine. And even when the location was recorded, some mines were placed in a way that allowed them to drift or move, according to the officials.
As with land mines, removing nautical mines is far more difficult than placing them. The US military lacks robust mine-clearing capabilities, relying on littoral combat ships equipped with mine-sweeping systems. Iran also does not have the capability to quickly remove mines, even the ones it planted.
Allegedly, there are affordable drones that can disarm mines.
Iran could get Russia or China to help if it wanted. And if Europe wasn’t helping Iran, maybe they could use their minesweepers. They would need Iran’s approval. Countries such as the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Belgium, and Norway operate dedicated minesweepers and often participate in NATO mine countermeasure exercises.
Japan, South Korea, India, Pakistan, and several Middle Eastern nations maintain smaller fleets for regional security.
Globally, 51 countries have documented their operation of minesweepers. The US has them, but they were left to rot under previous administrations.
Allegedly, the direct talks have Iran’s negotiators in a separate room and the US in another, with Pakistan running back and forth with messages. Some online claim all trust is gone. There was never any trust, and there won’t be. Former President Obama’s approach of giving them billions didn’t instill trust. It gave them opportunities to sneer at the US while financing terror.