Pentagon estimates six months to clear Hormuz mines after seizure shock

A Pentagon estimate of six months to clear mines from the Strait of Hormuz points to a prolonged threat for tanker, LNG and wider commercial shipping through the Gulf.

The Pentagon told US lawmakers it could take roughly six months to clear mines laid in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a Times of Israel report citing a person familiar with a classified briefing. The same live updates said Panama condemned Iran’s seizure of a vessel sailing under its flag as a serious attack on maritime security, reinforcing the view that the chokepoint risk is no longer theoretical for commercial shipping.

For TankerMap readers, the key implication is duration: if mine-clearance estimates stretch into months, tanker and LNG operators face a prolonged disruption scenario rather than a short-lived security scare. That raises the stakes for rerouting, war-risk pricing, Gulf port planning and vessel tracking across one of the world’s most important oil and gas corridors.