CENTCOM Says 94 Ships Redirected, 80 Mines Cleared in Strait of Hormuz Operation
WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES — WEB DESK: US Central Command has released new figures on American maritime operations around Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, claiming US forces redirected 94 vessels, cleared 80 naval mines and disabled three Iranian ships during enforcement of Washington’s blockade.
CENTCOM said two commercial vessels were also boarded and searched as part of the operation, according to an Express Urdu report published Tuesday.
The figures represent US military claims and should be attributed accordingly. Iran had not issued a response to the latest specific claims at the time of the original report.
CENTCOM Says 94 Vessels Redirected
According to CENTCOM, American forces have redirected 94 ships during enforcement operations.
The United States began implementing a blockade of maritime traffic entering and leaving Iranian ports in April. CENTCOM said at the time that the measure would apply to vessels of all nationalities travelling to or from Iranian ports and coastal areas.
Crucially, CENTCOM’s original description said the blockade was not intended to prevent vessels from transiting the Strait of Hormuz when travelling between non-Iranian ports.
That distinction is important: Washington describes its operation as a blockade of Iranian maritime access, rather than a blanket prohibition on all international traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
CENTCOM’s official media archive documents earlier interdictions. In May, for example, US Marines boarded the Iranian-flagged tanker Celestial Sea in the Gulf of Oman and directed it to change course after Washington said it was attempting to violate the blockade.
Three Iranian Vessels Reportedly Disabled
The latest figures cited by Express say three Iranian vessels were disabled after allegedly violating the blockade.
US forces have previously used military force against ships Washington says refused instructions.
On May 30, CENTCOM said US forces fired a missile into the engine room of the Gambia-flagged Lian Star after issuing more than 20 warnings as the vessel headed toward an Iranian port. At that stage, CENTCOM said at least 115 ships had been redirected since April 13, a figure that differs from the 94 cited in Tuesday’s Express report and may reflect different operational periods or categories.
That discrepancy means the latest “94 ships” figure should not be described as the cumulative total since the blockade began unless CENTCOM clarifies the reporting period.
US Says 80 Naval Mines Cleared
CENTCOM also claimed American forces cleared 80 naval mines during a covert operation at sea.
The military said clearing the maritime route should allow shipping activity in the area to increase.
Naval mines represent a particularly serious threat around the Strait of Hormuz because even the perception that shipping lanes have been mined can discourage commercial vessels, increase insurance premiums and disrupt energy flows.
However, the Express report does not provide independent verification of the number of mines removed, their precise locations or when the operation occurred. The figure should therefore remain explicitly attributed to the US military.
Strait of Hormuz Remains Global Energy Flashpoint
The Strait of Hormuz has become one of the central fronts in the continuing US-Iran confrontation.
The narrow maritime corridor connects Persian Gulf energy producers with global markets and is critical to international oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.
Washington’s blockade began on April 13, after President Donald Trump announced action against ships travelling to or from Iran. CENTCOM subsequently clarified that commercial vessels travelling through Hormuz to non-Iranian ports would not be impeded.
Iran has repeatedly challenged US maritime operations and asserted its own authority over shipping through the strait.
The confrontation has periodically escalated into direct attacks on vessels.
On September 5, US forces struck three Iranian oil carriers, while Iran said it targeted three tankers using what Tehran described as unauthorised routes through Hormuz, as well as other US-linked vessels. No casualties were reported in the initial accounts.
US Claims Hormuz Is Open
The latest Express report also attributes to US officials the claim that the Strait of Hormuz is fully open and under US Navy control.
That claim requires careful framing.
Commercial shipping has continued through the waterway, but traffic has faced severe disruption during different phases of the conflict, while Iran continues to contest US control and has repeatedly threatened or imposed its own restrictions.
It would therefore be more accurate to report that US officials claim the strait is open and that American forces are enforcing maritime access, rather than stating as an uncontested fact that Washington controls the entire waterway.
Report’s ‘20 Aircraft Carriers’ Claim Raises Accuracy Concern
The Express Urdu report also says US officials claimed 20 American aircraft carriers were participating in blockade operations in the Arabian Sea.
That wording raises a significant factual concern and should not be reproduced as confirmed fact without clarification from CENTCOM.
The United States does not operate enough commissioned aircraft carriers for 20 carriers to be deployed simultaneously to the Arabian Sea. The source may be referring to 20 US naval vessels, warships or other military assets, rather than aircraft carriers.
For publication, Daily Evening News should omit the “20 aircraft carriers” figure unless an authoritative CENTCOM statement clarifies what category of vessels was intended.
Iran Yet to Respond to Latest Figures
According to Express, Iran had not immediately responded to the specific US claims concerning the 94 redirected ships, three disabled Iranian vessels and 80 cleared mines.
That does not mean Tehran accepts Washington’s account.
Iran and the United States have repeatedly issued competing versions of military and maritime incidents during the conflict, making independent verification particularly important.
The latest CENTCOM figures nevertheless illustrate the scale Washington says its maritime enforcement operation has reached.
The next major question for global shipping and energy markets will be whether the reported mine-clearing operation produces a sustained increase in commercial traffic — or whether renewed US-Iran confrontation again disrupts passage through one of the world’s most strategically important waterways.
