海军潜水员、海豹突击队与空中力量耗时数月，在船舶交通分隔带悄然化解威胁
2026年8月31日 美国东部时间5:00 / 福克斯新闻
作者：摩根·菲利普斯 福克斯新闻
美国中央司令部司令表示美军已清除霍尔木兹航道水雷
美国海军上将布拉德·库珀称，美军历经数月行动，已从霍尔木兹海峡国际航道清除伊朗布设的水雷，商业船只可在美国保护下恢复通行。（美国中央司令部供图）
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唐纳德·特朗普总统上周宣布，美国已清除或引爆霍尔木兹海峡国际水域内的所有水雷。
如今，美国中央司令部司令首次公开详细披露了此次声明背后的高风险行动：美军耗时数月，从商业船舶常用的国际航道中悄然清除伊朗布设的水雷。
在已清理的航道与全球最重要航道之一恢复正常通航之间，仍存在其他威胁。最新海事指南仍将霍尔木兹海峡列为“严重”威胁级别。近期有油轮在阿曼附近遇袭，石油运输量仍远低于战前水平。
“我们已成功清除霍尔木兹海峡国际航道内的水雷，这些水雷是数月前伊朗伊斯兰革命卫队布设的，”美国中央司令部司令布拉德·库珀上将在视频通报中表示。
特朗普称伊朗海军已被“歼灭”，美国实施霍尔木兹封锁——但关键威胁仍存
霍尔木兹海峡最窄处仅21英里宽，双向航道各宽2英里。这里是全球多数大型产油国前往印度洋的唯一海上通道。（美联社照片）
“得益于美军的卓越工作，海峡内的国际公认通航航线已无伊朗水雷威胁，”库珀说。
库珀明确表示，清理区域为霍尔木兹海峡的船舶交通分隔带，这套沿用已久的双向航道系统引导商业船舶穿行于伊朗与阿曼之间的狭窄水域。
“我们的部队结合海军潜水员、海豹突击队以及陆军、海军、空军和海军陆战队的空中力量，细致且悄然地清除了航道内的水雷威胁，”库珀说。
此次行动开展之际，美军正处于水雷作战方式的重大转型期。
美军已于前一年退役了4艘驻巴林反水雷舰，当时新型无人系统仍在部署中。2026年4月，国防分析师布莱恩·克拉克在接受福克斯新闻数字频道采访时表示，美军的扫雷能力正处于“低谷”。
当时，曾指挥美国海军第五舰队的退役海军副上将凯文·多根告诉福克斯新闻数字频道，越来越多的新技术正被用于定位和清除水雷，包括在爆炸军械小组进场前绘制海床地图、识别潜在威胁的无人系统。
库珀的最新披露显示，美军此次依靠海军潜水员、海豹突击队和空中力量的组合力量清理了国际航道。美国中央司令部未披露各作战力量发挥的具体作用。
“情况极具挑战性且危险至极，但我们完成了任务，”库珀说。“归根结底，如今国际航道已经开放，局势正朝着积极方向发展。”
图片展示土耳其海军版扫雷无人机。（阿里·阿特马卡/阿纳多卢通讯社 盖蒂图片社供图）
未参与此次行动的多根表示，扫雷行动首先由水面和水下舰艇（包括无人系统）定位并识别疑似水雷。确认水雷后，自主系统、经过特殊训练的海军潜水员和海豹突击队可将其摧毁或失效。
多根说，航道的不同区域可同时处于不同作业阶段，部队在一处区域清除水雷的同时，可在其他区域继续开展探测和识别工作。
他表示，在整个行动期间，海军会持续扫描航道，确保未遗漏任何水雷。
多根说，美军在宣布航道安全前会使用一套精密的探测模型。
“简单来说，他们必须对航道进行足够多次的扫测，使模型中的水雷探测概率几乎达到100%，”他说。
多根表示，该计算会综合考虑探测系统及其效能、航道特征和海床类型等因素。
2026年8月10日，船只在伊朗阿巴斯港附近的霍尔木兹海峡锚泊。（阿里·赛义迪/盖蒂图片社供图）
白宫对伊朗-阿曼霍尔木兹计划保持沉默，德黑兰称将禁止美国军舰进入
美军多年来一直在为此类行动做准备。多根说，自2012年以来，美国海军中央司令部通过定期反水雷演习以及日常海军训练，一直在演练霍尔木兹海峡大规模扫雷行动的相关内容。
库珀表示，近几个月来，美军通过协调保护措施，协助近1500艘商业船舶通过霍尔木兹海峡。他说，这些船只运载了近7.5亿桶原油，运往全球能源市场。
这位美国中央司令部司令表示，美军同时推进两项任务：对伊朗实施海上封锁，以及保护霍尔木兹海峡的商业通航。他说，自7月中旬恢复封锁以来，美军已拦截75艘试图突破封锁的船只，并瘫痪了3艘拒不服从指令的船只。
库珀未透露美军发现并摧毁的水雷数量。
美国政治新闻网站Axios周四援引美国官员的话报道称，美军已从主航道清理出200多件类似水雷的物体。其中11件为真正的水雷，仅有少数是经过 proper 部署的。
这一数据印证了多根所描述的细致识别流程：部队必须先调查疑似威胁，才能确定哪些物体是真正的水雷。
美国中央司令部未进一步披露此次行动中使用的作战系统细节，也未说明单个水雷是如何被清除的。一名国防官员告诉福克斯新闻数字频道，出于安全原因，军方不会讨论行动细节。
更广泛的海上安全局势尚未跟上美国中央司令部的声明。
8月25日通过英国海事贸易行动办公室发布的最新联合海事信息中心咨询，仍将霍尔木兹海峡列为“严重”威胁级别，并表示蓄意敌对行动仍极有可能发生。
该咨询指出，水雷危险区域仍然活跃，并警告船舶交通分隔带内及附近仍存在漂流或未标示水雷的持续风险。咨询称，整个海峡范围内仍在开展清雷和扫雷作业，商业通航量预计仍将低于战前水平。
该评估早于库珀的视频通报。截至周五，尚未发布公开咨询下调威胁级别或解除相关警告。
多根表示，航道清理完成后，漂流水雷的威胁并不会完全消失。
“海湾地区始终存在漂流水雷的危险，这些水雷没有固定位置，可能是此次冲突或该地区以往冲突遗留下来的，”多根说。“历史上，这类漂流水雷的威胁一直很低，尤其是该地区的海流使得漂流水雷不太可能停留在航道内并撞击商业船只。”
商船船员仍面临袭击威胁。
英国海事贸易行动办公室报告称，8月24日和25日，阿曼附近的油轮遭遇不明 projectile 袭击，引发火灾，船员随后将火扑灭。两起事件中所有船员均报告安全。公共警报未指明涉事船只，也未归咎于袭击方。
据路透社援引初步的Vortexa追踪数据，周一通过霍尔木兹海峡的石油运输量约为每日500万桶，低于战前每日2000多万桶的水平。
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恢复情况仍不均衡。路透社周五报道称，根据初步航运数据，周四有7艘杂货船通过霍尔木兹海峡，较前一日的17艘有所下降，也低于15艘的10日平均水平。
伊朗和阿曼本周分别宣布，双方正在讨论设立临时联合通航走廊以及开展联合扫雷项目。他们的声明未具体说明该项目是否涵盖美国中央司令部所称已清理的船舶交通分隔带区域。
库珀的公告首次详细披露了特朗普声明背后的行动细节，标志着恢复霍尔木兹海峡商业通航迈出了重要一步。
美军表示，已确认的商业航道已开放并得到保护。但最新的海事风险指南、持续发生的袭击以及大幅下降的通航量表明，整个霍尔木兹海峡仍处于危险和中断状态。
Inside the dangerous US mission that cleared Iran’s mines from Hormuz shipping lanes
Navy divers, SEALs and air power quietly neutralized threats in the Traffic Separation Scheme over months
August 31, 2026 5:00am EDT / Fox News
By Morgan Phillips Fox News
CENTCOM commander says US forces cleared mines from Hormuz shipping lanes
Adm. Brad Cooper says U.S. forces cleared Iranian sea mines from the Strait of Hormuz’s international shipping lanes after months of work, allowing commercial vessels to resume transit under U.S. protection. (CENTCOM)
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President Donald Trump declared last week that the United States had removed or detonated all mines in international waters in the Strait of Hormuz.
Now, the commander of U.S. Central Command has offered the clearest public account yet of the high-stakes operation behind that declaration: a monthslong effort in which U.S. forces quietly cleared Iranian sea mines from established international shipping lanes used by commercial vessels.
Other threats still stand between the cleared lanes and a return to normal activity in one of the world’s most important waterways. The latest maritime guidance still classifies the Strait at a “SEVERE” threat level. Recent attacks have struck tankers near Oman, and oil flows remain far below prewar levels.
“We have successfully cleared sea mines in the Strait’s international shipping lanes that were laid months ago by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,” CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper said in a video update.
TRUMP SAYS IRAN’S NAVY ‘OBLITERATED’ AS US ENFORCES HORMUZ BLOCKADE — BUT KEY THREAT REMAINS
The Strait of Hormuz is 21 miles wide at its narrowest point, with shipping lanes that are two miles wide in each direction. It is the only sea passage from many of the world’s largest oil producers to the Indian Ocean.(AP Photo)
“Internationally recognized transit routes in the Strait are free of Iranian sea mines thanks to the incredible work of the U.S. military,” Cooper said.
Cooper identified the cleared area as the Strait’s Traffic Separation Scheme, the long-standing system of opposing lanes that guides commercial vessels through the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman.
“Our forces meticulously and quietly cleared them of sea mine threats using a combination of Navy divers, Navy SEALs and U.S. air power from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps,” Cooper said.
The operation was carried out as the Navy was in the middle of a major transition in how it handles mine warfare.
The service had retired its four Bahrain-based mine countermeasure ships the previous year as newer unmanned systems were still being fielded. In April, defense analyst Bryan Clark told Fox News Digital the Navy was at a “nadir” in its mine-sweeping capacity.
At the time, retired Vice Adm. Kevin Donegan, who previously commanded the Navy’s 5th Fleet, said newer technology was increasingly being used to locate and neutralize mines, including unmanned systems that map the seabed and identify potential threats before explosive ordnance teams move in.
Cooper’s account now shows U.S. forces relied on a broader combination of Navy divers, SEALs and air power to clear the international shipping lanes. CENTCOM has not disclosed the precise role each capability played.
“The circumstances were challenging and dangerous to say the least, but we got the job done,” Cooper said. “Bottom line, today, international shipping lanes are open and momentum is building.”
Image shows the Turkish Navy’s version of the mine-sweeping drone.(Ali Atmaca/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Donegan, who was not involved in the current operation, said mine-clearance operations begin with surface and subsurface vessels, including unmanned systems, locating and identifying possible mines. Once mines are identified, autonomous systems, specially trained Navy divers and SEALs can destroy or neutralize them.
Different sections of a waterway can be at different stages of the process at the same time, Donegan said, with forces neutralizing mines in one area while detection and identification continue elsewhere.
Throughout the operation, the Navy continues scanning the waterway to ensure it has not missed any mines, he said.
Donegan said the Navy uses a sophisticated detection model before declaring a waterway clear.
“In simplest terms, they have to conduct enough sweeps of the lanes to drive the probability of detection of mines to virtually 100% in the model,” he said.
Donegan said the calculation takes into account factors including the detection systems and their effectiveness, characteristics of the waterway and the type of seabed.
Ships are anchored in the Strait of Hormuz on August 10, 2026, off the coast of Bandar Abbas, Iran.(Ali Saeedi/Getty Images)
WHITE HOUSE SILENT ON IRAN-OMAN HORMUZ PLAN TEHRAN SAYS WOULD BAN US WARSHIPS
The Navy has also spent years preparing for such an operation. Donegan said elements of large-scale mine clearance in the Strait have been practiced through recurring NAVCENT mine-countermeasure exercises dating to 2012, along with regular Navy training.
Cooper said U.S. forces have assisted nearly 1,500 commercial vessels through the Strait in recent months by providing coordinated protection. Those ships carried nearly 750 million barrels of crude oil bound for global energy markets, he said.
The CENTCOM commander said the military is pursuing two missions at once: enforcing a naval blockade on Iran and protecting commercial passage through the Strait. He said that since the blockade resumed in mid-July, U.S. forces have turned around 75 vessels attempting to run it and disabled three that failed to comply with directions.
Cooper did not say how many mines U.S. forces found or destroyed.
Axios reported Thursday, citing U.S. officials, that American forces swept more than 200 mine-like objects from the main shipping lane. Of those objects, 11 were actual mines, and only a few had been properly deployed.
The figures illustrate the painstaking identification process Donegan described: Forces must investigate possible threats before determining which objects are actually mines.
CENTCOM has not provided further details on the systems used during the operation or how individual mines were neutralized. A defense official told Fox News Digital that the military would not discuss operational specifics for security reasons.
The broader maritime-security picture has yet to catch up with CENTCOM’s declaration.
The latest Joint Maritime Information Center advisory, issued through the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations office on Aug. 25, keeps the Strait of Hormuz at a “SEVERE” threat level and says deliberate hostile action remains highly likely.
The advisory says mine-danger areas remain active and warns of a continued risk from drifting or uncharted mines in and near the Traffic Separation Scheme. It says clearance and mine-surveying operations continue throughout the Strait and that commercial traffic is expected to remain below prewar levels.
The assessment predates Cooper’s video update. No public advisory downgrading the threat level or lifting the underlying warnings had been issued as of Friday.
Donegan said the possibility of drifting mines does not disappear entirely after a route has been cleared.
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“In the Gulf there is always the danger of drifting mines that are not fixed, that are left over from this conflict or previous ones in the region,” Donegan said. “That threat from those in the Gulf has historically been very low, especially due to currents in that area that make it unlikely that drifting mines stay in the lane and contact a commercial vessel.”
Commercial crews are also still confronting attacks.
UKMTO reported that tankers near Oman were struck by unknown projectiles on Aug. 24 and Aug. 25, setting off fires that crews later extinguished. All crew members were reported safe in both incidents. The public alerts did not identify the vessels or attribute the strikes.
Oil flows through the Strait stood at about 5 million barrels per day Monday, down from more than 20 million before the war, according to Reuters, which cited provisional Vortexa tracking data.
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The recovery remains uneven. Reuters reported Friday that seven commodity vessels transited the Strait on Thursday, down from 17 the day before and below the 10-day average of 15 vessels, based on preliminary shipping data.
Iran and Oman separately announced this week that they were discussing a temporary joint navigation corridor and a joint mine-clearance project. Their statements did not specify whether that work would cover the same Traffic Separation Scheme CENTCOM says U.S. forces have cleared.
Cooper’s announcement provides the most detailed official account yet of the operation behind Trump’s declaration and marks a significant step toward restoring commercial passage through the Strait.
The U.S. military says the recognized commercial lanes are open and protected. But the latest maritime risk guidance, continued attacks and sharply reduced traffic show that the broader Strait remains dangerous and disrupted.