In a classified and closed-door briefing at the American Congress, the Pentagon estimated that demining the strait could take six months. The U.S. defense later denied the information.
The question of the state of the Strait of Hormuz? The Washington Post reported that demining the area could take six months as estimated by the Pentagon during a classified presentation to the American Congress.
The newspaper cites three anonymous officials stating that “lawmakers were informed that Iran may have laid twenty mines or more in the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding areas.” According to a Defense Department official, “some were placed underwater at a distance using GPS technology, making their detection difficult. Others were ‘placed by Iranian forces using small boats.'”
“Unethical Journalism”
Subsequently, a Pentagon spokesperson denied the information to AFP, denouncing “leaks, much of which is false, from a classified and closed-door briefing” which he believes is “unethical journalism.” According to Sean Parnell, Deputy Navy Assistant for Public Affairs, closing the Strait of Hormuz for six months “is impossible and totally unacceptable.”
In mid-April, the Revolutionary Guards warned of a “dangerous zone” of 1,400 square kilometers, fourteen times the size of Paris, where mines could be located. Last week, Donald Trump stated that Tehran, “with the help of the United States, (had) removed, or (was…)”
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Also read: War in Iran: Does the Iranian regime really have the means to block the Strait of Hormuz permanently? War in Iran: Paralyzed traffic, blocked ships, killed sailors—The facts and figures on the Strait of Hormuz
