US Allies Warn Strait of Hormuz Still Mined, Doubting Trump’s Claim

US allies are privately warning that the Strait of Hormuz is still likely mined, casting doubt on President Donald Trump’s claim that the US Navy has cleared all explosives laid by Iran, according to a Bloomberg report. The doubt centers on whether the demining operation actually covered every mine placed in the waterway that handles roughly a fifth of global oil flows.

What the allies are saying

The US is likely to have made some progress in removing mines in international waters, according to people familiar with internal assessments, but they believe demining efforts haven’t cleared all of the estimated 80 to 150 mines laid by Iran.

US officials pushed back against that assessment, with one person familiar with the US position saying those figures were outdated. Centcom spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins said in a statement that internationally recognized transit routes in the Strait of Hormuz are free of Iranian sea mines.

Trump’s original all-clear

Trump said on Tuesday that all mines had been detonated or removed from international waters of the Strait of Hormuz, and that Iran has been told any ship or boat placing new mines will be destroyed.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said the US, through its Space Force, was watching every square inch of the Strait, and declared a zero tolerance policy on mine placement.

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Why traders should care

Trump has repeatedly insisted the strait is open, but few commercial ships have dared to transit the vital waterway given Iran’s attacks and lingering threats against them doing so without permission. That gap between political messaging and shipping reality is what keeps freight rates, insurance premiums, and crude risk premia elevated.

The Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas flow, has remained largely closed off, raising energy prices and fears of inflation. Any confirmed mine strike on a tanker would immediately re-price the entire energy complex.

Diplomacy still stalled

Iran and Oman said the two nations continue discussing a new proposal to reopen the strait by way of a temporary shipping route, as well as a plan to clear sea mines, but no new agreement has been reached.

Until a verifiable clearance is agreed and insurers sign off, expect commercial traffic to stay light and headline risk to stay heavy.

Options market and stocks to watch

Watch for continued volatility across energy and shipping names tied to Gulf transit risk:

• XOM and CVX: integrated majors most sensitive to Brent moves if a mine incident is confirmed.
• USO: crude ETF traders watch for a spot-price gap on any tanker headline.
• FRO and TNK: tanker names where rates jump on Hormuz risk but fall fast on a credible all-clear.
• LMT: defense exposure if the US expands mine-hunting or escort operations.

For more geopolitics-driven market moves, see additional coverage in other news.

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