Navy SEALs, Drones Cleared Iranian Mines From Strait of Hormuz

The most dangerous part of the fight for the Strait happened out of sight.

For roughly four months, U.S. Navy teams worked mostly at night to find and destroy Iranian sea mines in one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints, using SEAL divers, robot boats, underwater drones and advanced sonar, according to new reporting from the Financial Times.

The mission wasn’t entirely secret.

U.S. Central Command publicly announced in April that American forces had begun clearing mines and said underwater drones would join the effort. What stayed largely hidden were the details of how the Navy was actually doing it — and how risky that work was.

Unmanned systems first searched the seabed and identified suspected mines.

“That is usually followed up by a Navy diver who’s got to get in the water and approach the mine, and then put a charge on it and destroy it,” retired Navy Capt. Bill Hamblet told the FT.

The Navy also used systems such as the Common Uncrewed Surface Vessel and sonar-equipped submersibles capable of scanning the ocean floor without putting sailors directly over suspected explosives.

Despite the danger, no U.S. casualties have been reported from the mine-clearing mission.

By late August, U.S. officials said internationally recognized shipping routes through the strait were free of Iranian sea mines. That was a major strategic gain in a waterway that historically carries about 20% of global petroleum liquids consumption.

But the job isn’t finished.

The strait can be mined again, and U.S. Central Command has since struck Iranian minelaying capabilities after accusing Tehran of renewed attempts to threaten commercial shipping.

This wasn’t just a cleanup operation. It was a months-long effort to take away one of Iran’s most dangerous tools for shutting down global commerce.

More over at The Financial Times:

The risky mission to de-mine the Strait of Hormuz https://t.co/lCTMTB7iAG

— Financial Times (@FT) September 6, 2026