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Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, which oversees U.S. forces in the Middle East, released a brief video update Thursday evening, repeating President Donald Trump’s announcement earlier this week that U.S. forces have cleared Iranian mines from the Strait of Hormuz
“We have successfully cleared sea mines in the strait’s international shipping lanes, which were laid months ago,” Cooper said in the video posted on social media.
Neither Trump nor Cooper specified how extensively Iran had mined the waterway.
Admiral Charles Bradford “Brad” Cooper II, Commander of US Central Command speaks during a joint press conference with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, at US Central Command (CENTCOM) headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, on March 5, 2026.
Octavio Jones/AFP via Getty Images
Cooper said the mines were cleared through a combination of Navy divers, Navy SEALs and air power.
Cooper also said U.S. forces have overseen the safe passage of 1,500 commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, carrying a combined 750 million barrels of crude oil.
“Thousands of U.S. service members operating more than 20 warships and hundreds of aircraft have sustained our success, turning around 75 vessels attempting to run the blockade and disabling three vessels which did not comply when directed,” Cooper said.
-ABC News’ Steve Beynon
