The United States military says its warships will conduct an operation to clear mines laid by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz.In a statement released on Saturday, Central Command (CENTCOM), which has responsibility for US military operations in the Middle East, said the mission would be undertaken by guided missile destroyers USS Frank E Peterson and USS Michael Murphy and would aim to establish a “safe pathway” for the free flow of global commerce after Iran’s near-closure of the waterway since the war the US and Israel launched on Iran on February 28.On Wednesday after the announcement of a two-week ceasefire to allow for talks between the US and Iran, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) released a map of the Strait of Hormuz showing what it said was a safe route for ships to follow through the strait.The map appears to direct ships farther north towards the Iranian coast and away from the traditional route closer to the coast of Oman. ‘Safe’ routes through the Strait of Hormuz have been announced by Iran’s IRGC, providing new entry and exit pathways for maritime traffic [Screengrab/ Al Jazeera]In a statement, the IRGC said all vessels must use the new map for navigation due to “the likelihood of the presence of various types of anti-ship mines in the main traffic zone”.The stakes are high. One-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies had been shipped through the Strait of Hormuz before the war. Even a single mine, experts said, is enough to compel operators to assume a wider thre …
