Ankara: The US military's Central Command has declared that the internationally recognized shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz are now open after American forces successfully cleared sea mines from the crucial waterway.

According to Anadolu Agency, Commander Adm. Brad Cooper announced in a video on US social media platform X that the sea mines, laid months ago by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, have been cleared from the Strait's international shipping lanes. "Internationally recognized transit routes in the Strait are free of Iranian sea mines," Cooper stated.

US forces employed Navy divers, Navy SEALs, and aircraft from the army, navy, air force, and Marine Corps to ensure the clearance of the lanes. Adm. Cooper emphasized that the international shipping lanes are now operational, with momentum building for safe passage.

In the past several months, US forces have assisted nearly 1,500 commercial vessels in their transit through the strait, facilitating the transport of approximately 750 million barrels of crude oil to global markets. Adm. Cooper noted that since the resumption of the US naval blockade in July, no ships have entered or left Iranian ports without American permission, except for those permitted on humanitarian grounds.

The US has turned around 75 vessels attempting to bypass the blockade and disabled three that failed to comply with directions. The Strait of Hormuz remains a key international shipping route, linking the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.