US allies warn Hormuz is still mined despite Trump claim: report

US allies are privately cautioning that the Strait of Hormuz remains likely mined, challenging President Donald Trump’s assertion that the US Navy has fully removed and detonated Iranian explosives from the vital waterway.

According to officials familiar with internal assessments who spoke to Bloomberg, American forces have made progress clearing mines in international waters, but have not eliminated all of an estimated 80 to 150 devices Iran laid.

The assessment directly undercuts Trump’s repeated recent statements that the strait is clear.

On Wednesday, he described Hormuz as “a very functioning strait” and told The Glenn Beck Program: “The mines are gone. You probably saw that — we put it out yesterday — all the mines, we got rid of the mines.”

A day earlier, Trump posted on Truth Social that the Navy had informed him “all mines have been removed and/or detonated from within the International Waters of the Strait of Hormuz,” adding that Iran had been warned any vessel placing new mines would be “immediately and systematically destroyed” and that the Space Force was monitoring “every square inch” of the waterway under a “Zero Tolerance policy.”

US officials pushed back against the allies’ view.

One person familiar with the American position said the 80-to-150 figure was outdated.

Centcom spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins stated that “internationally recognized transit routes in the Strait of Hormuz are free of Iranian sea mines.” Centcom declined further comment on mine estimates.

Allied officials noted that demining has grown more complicated because many mines—even those previously identified and laid in clusters—have likely drifted from their original positions due to sea currents.

They argued that restoring commercial shippers’ confidence requires a broader international effort combining sophisticated de-mining equipment with air and naval protection, and that Iran should grant Oman permission to operate in its waters to safeguard vessels.

“It is highly unlikely that all the mines in the strait have been cleared,” said Becca Wasser, Bloomberg Economics defense lead.

“Even if the mine threat was reduced, Iran could still escalate. Numerous commercial vessels are well in range of Iranian drones and short-range missiles—and many are outside the range of US air defense cover.”

Hours after Trump’s announcement, the Joint Maritime Information Center warned of a “continued risk of drifting or uncharted mines” near the traffic separation scheme.

Iran rejected the US claim.

Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the strait remains closed despite a temporary transit agreement with Oman, insisted “no one except Iran knows the location of these mines,” and dismissed Trump’s comments as aimed at calming markets while warning that US mine-detection vessels would become “very good targets.”

Iran and Oman simultaneously announced plans for a joint project to clear mines as part of a framework for a temporary navigation corridor.

The dispute comes nearly six months into the US-‘Israel’ war with Iran that began in late February 2026.

Pre-war, roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas passed through Hormuz; traffic has since fallen sharply, contributing to volatile energy markets.

Trump has pressed claims of restored safety partly to stabilize those markets ahead of November midterm elections, while Admiral Brad Cooper of Centcom earlier reported that US strikes destroyed more than 90 percent of Iran’s estimated inventory of around 8,000 mines in storage.