Iran is unable to find the mines it laid in the strait of Hormuz and does not have the capacity to remove the explosives, preventing Iran from allowing more traffic through the waterway, the New York Times reported, citing US officials. Meanwhile, US military officials on Saturday announced that their forces “began setting conditions for clearing mines in the strait”, with two navy guided-missile destroyers conducting operations. Iran laid mines in the strait of Hormuz last month after the US and Israel declared war against the country, dropping explosives throughout the waterway with small boats. US officials have said that Iran placed mines in the strait erratically, and may not have marked where it put all of them. The strait has also remained mostly closed to traffic as Iran insisted that the two-week ceasefire also include Lebanon.

Source: The Guardian April 11, 2026 14:56 UTC