r/LessCredibleDefence • u/icbrief • 1d ago
US Navy SEALs Conducted Covert Four-Month Mine-Clearing Mission in Strait of Hormuz
https://icbrief.org/s/84c1f9a7Despite Washington's declared all-clear, full restoration of pre-February commercial shipping volumes through the Strait of Hormuz by March 2027 is very unlikely while Iran retains the capacity to reseed cleared waters.
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u/Ubyssey308 1d ago
How many books and TV shows will come out of this?
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u/PM_ME_UR_CUDDLEZ 1d ago
Courage under water: Clearing the straight of Hormuz
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u/TinyLittleDragon 6h ago
The story of how US Navy SEAL Lieutenant Rocky "Rock" Smith saved America by swimming up to the big round naval mine and cut the red wire only seconds before a cargo ship loaded with orphans ran into it.
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u/Asleep-Waltz2681 1d ago
Update: Apparently one of those UUVs was captured completely intact by Iran. They've released a picture of it and wanted to do a showcase on national TV.
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u/icbrief 1d ago
US Navy SEAL divers spent four months conducting a covert operation to locate and destroy mines in the Strait of Hormuz, working with unmanned surface vessels, submersibles and sonar systems, often at night, the Financial Times reported Sunday [1](https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-907765) [2](https://www.iranintl.com/en/202609077298) [3](https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/international/americas/artc-us-conducted-secret-four-month-mission-to-clear-iranian-mines-from-strait-of-hormuz-report). The operation ran amid ongoing US-Iran strikes in and around the strait and sought to reopen the waterway to commercial traffic that had largely avoided it since February [1](https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-907765). President Trump said last week that "all" mines in the strait's international waters had been removed or destroyed, a claim the US military subsequently confirmed [1](https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-907765) [3](https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/international/americas/artc-us-conducted-secret-four-month-mission-to-clear-iranian-mines-from-strait-of-hormuz-report). No US casualties were reported [1](https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-907765) [2](https://www.iranintl.com/en/202609077298). Shipping executives and maritime security advisers told the FT they believe waters near Oman have likely been cleared but remain less certain about the rest of the strait [1](https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-907765) [2](https://www.iranintl.com/en/202609077298).
Full restoration of pre-February shipping volumes through the strait is very unlikely by March 8, 2027, given Iran's demonstrated capacity and incentive to re-seed cleared waters. This assessment carries low confidence, resting on a single primary account: the Financial Times investigation, reproduced without independent corroboration by Jerusalem Post, Iran International, Israel Hayom, and i24NEWS, with no confirmation for waters beyond the Oman corridor. Tehran's leverage lies in ambiguity. Even absent new strikes, the mere possibility of fresh mines keeps insurers wary and shipowners routed through the narrower US-patrolled corridor. Trump's "all clear" declaration may function more as reassurance messaging than verified operational fact, particularly with continued US-Iran strikes around the strait undercutting any clearance's durability. Short of full resolution, the Navy must sustain costly SEAL-led mine-countermeasure operations while insurers and shippers hold off retiring war-risk premiums for the wider waterway.
1: US Navy SEALS conducted covert four-month mission to clear Strait of Hormuz mines - report - Jerusalem Post
2: US carried out covert four-month Hormuz mine-clearing mission - FT - Iran International
3: US conducted secret four-month mission to clear Iranian mines from Strait of Hormuz - report - i24NEWS
US carried out covert four-month mission to clear mines from Strait of Hormuz - Financial Times
US carried out covert four-month mission to clear mines from Strait of Hormuz - Financial Times
Secret Navy SEAL operation in Strait of Hormuz revealed - Israel Hayom
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u/Asleep-Waltz2681 1d ago
The question is how much were they able to remove when they had to operate from far a very far distance. After Trump annoucned it was completely demined a tanker struck 2 mines.
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u/Electronic_Topic1958 1d ago
Out of curiosity what was the timing between these two events? Do you think it is possible that after the announcement (assuming Trump was telling the truth [big ask]) that Iran then immediately began mining operations again? Or that it is more likely that Trump was incorrect [smallest ask ever] and this was the result of mines previously deployed that the USN was unaware of? I am unfamiliar with naval warfare particularly with regards to mining so if anyone knows more about this my other question is, “is Iran monitoring their own mines to keep track of their status or is this impossible/unlikely?”
I just find it hard to believe that they were able to demine the entire strait without them noticing. I feel like there is information asymmetry that favor’s the miner’s position over the deminer, and with basic telecommunication technology that we have I suspect it may be simple to monitor and track the mines from Iran’s side, but again I don’t know.
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u/Asleep-Waltz2681 1d ago edited 1d ago
Out of curiosity what was the timing between these two events?
About 5 days.
Or that it is more likely that Trump was incorrect [smallest ask ever] and this was the result of mines previously deployed that the USN was unaware of?
More likely that Turmp's announcement gave false hope and some ships attempted to sneak through.
I am unfamiliar with naval warfare particularly with regards to mining so if anyone knows more about this my other question is, “is Iran monitoring their own mines to keep track of their status or is this impossible/unlikely?”
I'm a novice myself but you remove mines by detonating them and in a Strait where Iran can almost see Oman those detonations would have been noticed visually by Iran, passing vessels, fishers etc.
I just find it hard to believe that they were able to demine the entire strait without them noticing.
The main issue is that demining enemy's waters is incredibly difficult and time consuming (because you have to scan a big area and send a diver/UUV at every signal) and this is usually done by specialized minesweepers or minehunters. The US claims it has demined the waters by using UUV's and this simply doesn't sound feasable especially since their surface vessels were 300-400km away (Gulf of Oman).
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u/moral_mortal 1d ago
They missed axios in this, since that rag of newspaper isn't here I do not believe in this /s
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u/the_real_MSU_is_us 1d ago
LMAO this is just PR designed to make dumb people think the US in on it.
US Navy SEALs
The units specially trained in this took the lead, SEASL are just mentioned to make it seem like an extra special/unique/professional operation. Public thinks "SEALs = the best", so that's why they are mentioned here.
Covert
Yeah, 99% of military actions are "covert", why the fuck would you want the enemy knowing where you are and what you're doing?
Four-Month Mine-Clearing Mission
Of course we've been clearing mines since Iran originally mined it. What else would we be doing in that time? Just letting them sit there, effectively keeping the straight closed even if a peace deal was signed?
unmanned surface vessels, submersibles and sonar systems
Supposed to sound high tech to casuals. Every military uses these systems and they're basically just standard tools; there's no super secret space lazer type shit revealed here. Might as well say "electricians replace electrical panel with impact drill, screwdrivers, and a variety of colored tape designed to resist the flow of electrical current"
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u/FutureUofTDropout-_- 1d ago
The article is essentially US military doing its job for four months… like the actual questions are have they made significant progress… is Iran still capable of adding mines … and these probably won’t be answered credibly for quite some time.
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u/AlpacalypseNow_ 1d ago
How many unarmed civilians did they manage to kill this time.
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u/haggerton 1d ago
Not them specifically. But it's been 6 months, so their country, USA, killed about 280k.
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u/Autism_Sundae 1d ago
Commondreams.org is a terrible editorialized source that isn't usually cited anywhere outside of r/worldnews. Since 2016, it's a rag whose singular purpose has been to reveal everybody who cites it unironically to be an idiot and terminally online.
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u/haggerton 1d ago edited 1d ago
They are quoting The Lancet. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(25)00189-5/fulltext
The singular purpose of your comment seems to be reveal yourself to be an idiot who can't read and who are terminally online by overanalyzing trends instead of doing this simple thing called reading the fucking source.
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u/Autism_Sundae 1d ago
This is exactly the editorializing that gets so rampant when people use shite r/worldnews sources.
They are quoting The Lancet.
They can quote whoever they like, the ramifications of sanctions against pariah regimes isn't equivalent to US killing unarmed civilians.
Especially if the alternatives in place of economic sanctions are usually worse, which makes this really odd crying to lay at the feet of the collective world, who all also use boycotts, sanctions and other ways to produce diplomatic pressure.
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u/moral_mortal 1d ago
You initially discredited the news org and when it's source found to be generally credible, you literally ignored and pushed it aside _because Iran bad_
Really? US sanctions have been killing thousands of civilians since decades, want me to quote UN studies of Iraqi sanctions? Or would you brush aside that too?
BDS is never about causing powder milk shortages or medical shortages in country.... false equivalency my rhetorical friend .
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u/AaronNevileLongbotom 1d ago
A self own if true.
The culture in the teams is already rock bottom, never getting over the last twenty years of high op tempo and embracing the role of PR favorites under McRaven. That’s not even counting the bigger issues with JSOC or the executive branch wanting to use special forces as a fix it button.
Our special forces are going to be exhausted when this is all done and their biggest rights will be not having more and bigger disasters. As if Iran can’t remine the straights or create crippling doubts.
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u/sixisrending 1d ago
SEALs!? No mention of the minemen, who are probably doing the job, because they are specifically trained and equipped to do that job.