Iran still has at least a dozen mines in the Strait of Hormuz, which are imperiling oil tanker traffic through the critical passage — but the US is working with the UK on a plan to clear them.
The underwater explosives were identified as Iranian-manufactured Maham 3 and Maham 7 limpet mines, US officials told CBS News.
The explosives threaten any ship that dares cross the Strait of Hormuz, effectively shutting down a key trade route that oversees the transport of 20% of the world’s oil supplies.
However, the British government believes that there is a safe bath through the straight, according to a new report — as a few tankers made it safely through the choke-point.
The Maham 3 mines, which weigh more than 660 lbs, use magnetic and acoustic sensors, with the bomb capable of attaching itself to ships that come within 10 feet, according to the Collective Awareness to Unexploded Ordnance website.
The Maham 7, also known as a “sticking mine,” is a compact limpet mine that rests along the seabed before employing acoustic and magnetic sensors to attack medium-sized vessels and landing craft.
The 485-lb. mines, first shown to the public in a 2015 arms exhibition, is known to be a hard-to-detect naval weapon capable of scattering incoming sonar to avoid detection by minesweeping systems.
The US military said last week that at least 44 Iranian mine layers have been destroyed since the war began.
While an official count is unavailable, Iran is believed to have between 2,000 to 6,000 naval mines in its stockpiles.
Despite the dangers, Indian, Pakistani, and Chinese ships have been able to cross the Strait of Hormuz without triggering any mines or being attacked by Iranian drones.
Huax, a German-Italian maritime intelligence firm, reports that ships that have made the journey were broadcasting a secret signal that identifies the vessels as clear for passage, The Times reported.
“Whether they are signals to Tehran or internal fleet identifiers, we cannot confirm, but the signals are coordinated across multiple vessels,” Arsenio Longo, a maritime intelligence expert at Huax,” told the outlet.
“Indian and China-linked vessels appear to be transiting or staging for transit while virtually all other commercial traffic remains blocked,” he added.
Tehran has said any countries except for the US, Israel, and their allies are allowed to pass through the strait, triggering a stand off with President Trump over the weekend.
The president has demanded Iran open the Strait of Hormuz following spikes in oil costs, with Tehran and Washington allegedly holding indirect talks to end the war.
To help clear the critical trade route, the UK is considering plans to send a mine hunting ship to the area as part of a multinational force to secure the trade path, according to the Times.
The plan could also see the UK deploy Type 45 destroyers to help protect tankers through the strait.
Iran has warned that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until the US and Israel agree to end the war and provide reparations to Tehran.
