Pentagon: Clearing mines in the Strait of Hormuz may take 6 months

Gold Finance reports that on April 23, the Pentagon notified Congress that it could take up to six months to completely clear the mines potentially laid by the Iranian military in the Strait of Hormuz, and that any such operation is unlikely to occur before the end of the war between the U.S. and Iran. This assessment suggests that the economic impact of the conflict could persist into later this year or even longer. It was revealed that a senior Department of Defense official shared this previously unreported estimate during a classified briefing with members of the House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday. Two sources indicated that this timeline frustrated both Democrats and Republicans, perhaps the clearest signal that even after any peace agreement is reached, gasoline and oil prices may remain high for an extended period. Beyond economic impacts, such an outcome could also significantly influence domestic U.S. politics, especially with the midterm elections approaching in November. Lawmakers were told that Iran may have laid 20 or more mines in the Strait of Hormuz and its surrounding areas. Some of these mines are remotely deployed using GPS technology, making it difficult for U.S. forces to detect the mines during deployment. It is believed that other mines were laid by the Iranian military using small boats. The White House and the Pentagon did not respond to questions about the military’s assessment of how long mine clearance might take on Wednesday. U.S. Central Command declined to comment.