Iran placed mines in the strait erratically and may not have marked where it put all of them, US suggests
Middle East crisis – live updates
Iran is unable to find the mines it laid in the strait of Hormuz and does not have the capacity to remove the explosives, preventing Iran from allowing more traffic through the waterway, the New York Times reported, citing US officials.
The opening of the strait of Hormuz – a chokepoint for a fifth of the world’s oil supply – is a primary demand of the US to end the war in Iran. The virtual closure of the strait sent fuel prices soaring, creating the world’s largest energy crisis in decades and putting pressure on US president Donald Trump at home.
Negotiators from the US and Iran were meeting in Islamabad this weekend to negotiate a final truce to end the war. A continued closure of the strait could prove to be a stumbling bloc for the talks as Trump demanded the complete and immediate opening of the waterway for the current pause in fighting to be sustained.
