U.S. Efforts To Prevent Iranian Mine Laying In Strait Of Hormuz Underway

Distinct from the LNG-price and crude-spike angle: this is the kinetic counter-mine campaign in the Strait. US and partner navies are running mine countermeasure (MCM) sweeps, deploying unmanned MCM systems, and pre-positioning EOD divers around the chokepoint. Lead with the operational picture — how few MCM hulls the US Navy actually has, why MH-53E Sea Dragon retirement matters, and what 'mine laying underway' implies about Iran's escalation calculus. The angle: the world's most important shipping lane is being defended by a degraded mine-warfare force.