CENTCOM Declares Hormuz Shipping Lanes Cleared of Iranian Mines; Iran's Oil Exports at Zero Since Blockade Resumed

CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper released a video message Thursday night (Aug 27) declaring international shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz fully cleared of Iranian-laid sea mines, saying divers, special operations personnel, and aircraft had 'meticulously and quietly' cleared the traffic separation scheme over several months: 'Today, international shipping lanes are open and momentum is building... The circumstances were challenging and dangerous, to say the least, but we got the job done.' CENTCOM said US forces have escorted nearly 1,500 commercial vessels carrying roughly 750 million barrels of crude through the strait since the blockade began, turned back about 75 vessels attempting to breach it, and disabled 3 non-compliant vessels. Iran has exported zero oil from its own shores since the naval blockade resumed in mid-July, per CENTCOM. Despite the mine-clearing claim, traffic remains far below pre-war levels — only about 10 commercial vessels transited Wednesday against a already-depressed 10-day average of 15, a fraction of the 20+ million bbl/day that transited before Feb 28. Trump separately expressed optimism Thursday about an imminent resolution, though talks between Washington and Tehran remain stalled.