Hegseth Signals Mines Remain Key Obstacle to Full Hormuz Reopening

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday publicly reinforced that mines remain a central obstacle to restoring confidence in the Strait of Hormuz.

In a Pentagon briefing focused largely on the expanding U.S. blockade of Iran, Hegseth repeatedly pointed to Iranian mine threats, ongoing clearance operations, and the risks mines continue to pose to commercial navigation, amounting to one of the clearest U.S. acknowledgements yet that mine threats remain a major factor constraining a broader return of shipping.

“We are seeing vessels transiting. There are paths that are open,” Hegseth said when asked whether the mine threat had been neutralized