It may take up to six months to completely clear the Strait of Hormuz of Iranian mines, according to a new report.
A Defense Department official relayed the estimate to lawmakers during a closed-door congressional briefing on Tuesday, three sources familiar with the matter told The Washington Post.
The assessment points to potentially long-lasting economic consequences, as the strait — now subject to dueling U.S. and Iranian blockades — is a critical trade artery that carried 20 percent of the world’s oil before the war.
On Wednesday, the average cost of gasoline in the U.S. stood at $4.02 a gallon, up from $2.98 two days before the U.S. and Israel launched their surprise attack on Iran, according to AAA.
Continued disruption in traffic through the waterway could also dampen Republicans’ chances in the upcoming midterm elections. The war is unpopular with most Americans and over half of voters blame Trump “a lot” for the spike in gas prices, according to a recent poll.
When contacted by The Washington Post, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell described the outlet’s reporting as “inaccurate.”
“By deciding to publish…these false claims, the Washington Post has made clear they care more about advancing an agenda than truth,” he said in a statement.
The Independent has reached out to the Pentagon for comment.
Three unnamed officials told the outlet that lawmakers were briefed on intelligence indicating Iran may have deployed more than 20 mines in and around the Strait of Hormuz. Some were dropped by boat, while others were set adrift using GPS-guided technology, making them difficult for U.S. forces to detect.
It remains unclear how the U.S. military would clear the mines, though some officials have pointed to drones and helicopters as possible options.
Iranian forces started placing mines in the waterway in March, after the U.S. and Israel launched the war, according to CNN.
The Middle East nation possesses more than 5,000 naval mines, which could be highly effective given the strait’s shallow waters and narrow shipping lanes, according to the Defense Intelligence Agency.
Later in March, President Donald Trump threatened Iran with repercussions “at a level never before seen” if it did not remove the mines.
In April, The New York Times reported that Iran is unable to locate all of the explosives it placed in the strait and that it lacks the capacity to recover them.
Hostilities are currently paused under a fragile ceasefire extended earlier this week by Trump, as negotiations to end the war continue.
