CENTCOM Says Hormuz’s Main Shipping Lanes Are Clear of Mines

The U.S. Central Command said Thursday that all major internationally recognized lanes through the Strait of Hormuz are clear of mines and will remain so, an assurance for traffic on a vital oil route.

The statement followed claims circulated by Iran-controlled media in recent days and weeks that commercial vessels had hit mines while crossing the strait. CENTCOM rejected the claims as false.

The command specified that its assessment covers the internationally recognized major transit lanes in the strait. It said the routes have been cleared and that their mine-free status will continue.

The Strait of Hormuz is a vital oil transit route. Its recognized shipping lanes are the focus of the command’s assurance for merchant traffic through the passage. CENTCOM said thousands of commercial ships have used those lanes safely, and vessels continue to transit them.