SOURCE :- SIASAT NEWS
US President Donald Trump has said all mines have been removed or detonated from international waters in the Strait of Hormuz, warning Iran that any ship or boat attempting to lay new mines will be “immediately and systematically destroyed”.
In a Truth Social post on Tuesday, August 25, Trump said he had been informed by the US Navy that the mines had been cleared from the strategic waterway. He said Iran had been notified of Washington’s position and that the US was enforcing a “Zero Tolerance” policy on mine placement.
Trump also said the US Space Force was monitoring “every square inch” of the Strait, as well as what he described as Pickaxe Mountain and three other nuclear sites that had already been destroyed.
Trump did not provide details about the reported mine-clearance operation, including when it took place, how many mines were removed or detonated, or which US units were involved.
The Strait of Hormuz has emerged as a major flashpoint in the six-month war involving the United States, Israel and Iran, with repeated incidents involving commercial vessels raising concerns over the security of the vital energy route.
The International Maritime Organization has confirmed 68 incidents in the Gulf and adjacent waters during the conflict, averaging one incident every 2.6 days. At least 20 sailors or port workers were killed and 35 others injured, while one person was reported missing, according to the UN agency.
Around half of the incidents involved oil tankers, while container ships accounted for about 20 per cent and cargo ships around 15 per cent. The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency classified 47 of the incidents as attacks.
Liberian-flagged vessels were involved in the highest number of incidents, with 13, followed by ships flying the flags of Panama and the Marshall Islands, with 10 incidents each. Iranian-flagged vessels were reported to have been damaged in four incidents.
Maritime incidents fluctuate during war
The frequency of incidents has varied across different stages of the conflict.
From the outbreak of violence in late February until the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran ahead of peace talks in mid-June, an average of one incident was recorded every 2.3 days.
The incidents during that period resulted in 16 deaths and 19 injuries and were reported across the Gulf region, including waters on both sides of the Strait of Hormuz and off the coast.
While the talks continued until July 7, the rate fell to about one incident every 4.6 days. No deaths, disappearances or injuries among sailors or other maritime workers were reported during that period.
Following the collapse of the talks, the frequency rose again to about one incident every 2.8 days. Four sailors or workers were killed, 16 injured and one person was reported missing.
Shipping traffic falls sharply
Commercial traffic through the Strait has also declined amid the continuing security concerns.
Preliminary shipping data showed that only one commodity vessel crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, August 24, the lowest number since May 7.
Data from ship-tracking firm Kpler showed that one supertanker entered the Strait from the Gulf of Oman on Monday, compared with six vessels of various types on Sunday.
The figures could change as more shipping data becomes available, particularly because some vessels have switched off their transponders while passing through the area.
Oil flows through the Strait also fell to about 5 million barrels per day on Monday, according to provisional data from ship-tracking firm Vortexa cited by Reuters. That was sharply below the more than 20 million barrels per day recorded before the war.
The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and is one of the world’s most important routes for oil and gas shipments. Disruption to the waterway can therefore have consequences for global energy supplies, shipping and markets.
SOURCE : SIASAT
