A Pentagon assessment said it could take six months to completely clear the Strait of Hormuz of mines laid by Iran, which could keep oil prices high, the report said. Washington Post reported on Wednesday.
Iran has virtually blocked the vital waterway since starting a war with the United States and Israel, dramatically raising oil and gas prices and disrupting the global economy.
The strait, through which a fifth of the world's oil and gas passes in peacetime, has remained largely closed during an uneasy ceasefire, with the United States imposing its own blockade.
Even if hostilities end and the blockade is lifted, it could take months to clear the canal of mines, according to a Pentagon assessment, the Washington Post reported citing officials close to the discussion.
The assessment added that such an operation was unlikely to begin before the end of the war.
The six-month estimate was shared with members of the House Armed Services Committee during a classified briefing, the Post reported.
Lawmakers were told that Iran could have placed 20 or more mines in and around the strait, some floating remotely using GPS technology that makes them harder to detect, according to the report.
AFP has contacted the Department of Defense for comment.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told the Washington Post that his information was “inaccurate.”
Iran's Revolutionary Guard has warned of a “danger zone” spanning 1,400 square kilometers (14 times the size of Paris) where mines could be present.
The speaker of Iran's parliament said the Islamic republic would not reopen the strait as long as the US naval blockade persisted.
A spokesman for German transport giant Hapag-Lloyd warned last week that hauliers needed details on viable routes as they remain fearful of mines.
When the Strait of Hormuz briefly reopened at the start of the ceasefire this month, only a few ships passed through it for fear of attacks or mines.
In early April, the US Navy said its ships transited the canal to begin clearing mines, but that claim was denied by Iran's Revolutionary Guard, which threatened any military ships attempting to cross the canal.
London hosted talks with military planners from more than 30 countries starting Wednesday about a multinational mission led by the United Kingdom and France to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz once hostilities end.
The “defensive” coalition will discuss plans to reopen the strait and conduct demining operations.
