By Tony Capaccio and Christina Ruffini (Bloomberg) —
Iran is using mines in the Strait of Hormuz to direct commercial ships into specific lanes close to its shores, making it easier for them to control shipping traffic and collect fees, according to the US Navy's chief military official.
“There's no doubt they are there,” said Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Daryl Caudle about Iran's mines in this vital waterway, which is located between Oman and Iran, during an interview with Bloomberg This Weekend, parts of which will be broadcast on Sunday.
The routes through the Strait of Hormuz have been a major point of tension ever since the US and Iran agreed to reopen it under a peace deal last month. Iran claims that vessels cannot pass through without its approval, while the US is trying to guide shipping along the Omani side of the strait.
The location and number of mines in the strait are critical concerns for energy exporters and shipping companies as they work to restore traffic through this key route, which used to carry about 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies before the conflict.
Following a series of recent attacks on ships in the strait, oil prices jumped more than 3% on Tuesday, while European gas futures increased by around 7%.
The US Central Command has not revealed how many mines Iranian small boats have laid. Admiral Brad Cooper, its head, told Congress in May that US military operations had destroyed over 90% of Iran’s estimated stockpile of about 8,000 mines.
The UN’s International Maritime Organization estimated last month that around 80 mines have been deployed in the strait.
In an April 11 statement, Centcom noted that the destroyers USS Frank E. Peterson and USS Michael Murphy passed through the Strait of Hormuz, participating in a broader mission to ensure that the strait is free of sea mines previously laid by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.
When asked how many mines have been laid, Caudle acknowledged that he was aware of some details, stating, “some of that involves classified intelligence, so I won’t go into specifics about how we know or the exact numbers. But I can confirm that mines are present. Most of this is aimed at shaping operations for the Iranians,” implying that their goal is to push shipping into their side of the Strait of Hormuz.
Although the administration and allied nations oppose this goal, Iran maintains “the vision that one day they’ll charge for transit” through the international waterway, Caudle added.
Tehran has reiterated that it will not permit ships to pass through the waterway without its authorization, while the US continues to manage a shipping route along the Omani side of the strait to keep vessels away from Iranian waters.