US Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper said American forces have cleared sea mines laid by Iran from internationally recognized shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz, a step that appears to be restoring shipowner confidence in the world’s most important oil chokepoint. Transits through the strait rose more than 30% last week compared with the prior week, led largely by tankers and gas carriers.
The strait has been under intermittent blockade-like conditions since February, a disruption CENTCOM estimates has removed roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and gas supply from its normal maritime route at various points. The mine-clearing operation does not eliminate the broader geopolitical risk in the Gulf, but it removes one of the most direct physical threats to transiting vessels.
Source: gCaptain
