The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway through which a massive share of global oil shipments pass, has become the most dangerous chokepoint in international trade. And at the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, scheduled for June 15-17, President Trump is expected to discuss how to clean it up.
The UK and France are leading a proposal for a Europe-led mine-clearing mission in the strait, and they need Washington’s endorsement. Iran has reportedly deployed around 6,000 sea mines in the waterway.
The military backdrop
US-Iran tensions escalated sharply after military strikes in late February, setting off a chain of events that has fundamentally reshaped the security landscape of the Persian Gulf.
By March, US forces had destroyed 44 Iranian mine-laying vessels. The Pentagon began its own preliminary mine-removal operations on April 11, deploying destroyers and underwater drones to begin chipping away at the problem.
