Story perspectives

Iran Declares Hormuz Danger Zone; Cleanup Delay Fuels Price Worries

4/25/2026

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Iran Declares Danger

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards declared a 1,400-square-kilometre “danger zone” in the Strait of Hormuz, 14 times Paris’s size.
The Pentagon told Congress mine clearance may take six months and likely won’t start until the war ends.
Lawmakers warned that oil and gasoline prices could remain high even after a cease-fire.
Richard Nephew warned clearance would destabilize oil and gas markets, harming insurers, shipowners and crews.

Right

Trump Orders Minesweeping

President Donald Trump ordered minesweeping in Strait of Hormuz to triple and authorized lethal force against Iranian vessels laying mines.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell denied a Washington Post claim that mine clearance would take six months, calling it false.
USS Chief and USS Pioneer sailed west from Asia toward Middle East to support mine-clearing.
Retired Vice Admiral Kevin Donegan said newer unmanned technology offsets the loss of dedicated minesweepers.

History

Historical Context

During the 1991 Gulf War, United States Navy mine-countermeasure groups cleared Iraqi mines from the Persian Gulf, restoring safe oil flow. The same capability traces back to World II clearance divers of the Royal Australian Navy and other Allied forces, showing a long-standing pattern of mine threats in strategic waterways that re-emerge today.

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Iran Declares Danger

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards declared a 1,400-square-kilometre “danger zone” in the Strait of Hormuz, 14 times Paris’s size.
The Pentagon told Congress mine clearance may take six months and likely won’t start until the war ends.
Lawmakers warned that oil and gasoline prices could remain high even after a cease-fire.
Richard Nephew warned clearance would destabilize oil and gas markets, harming insurers, shipowners and crews.

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