US official: Britain and France discussed participating in removing mines from the Strait of Hormuz
US official: Britain and France discussed participating in removing mines from the Strait of Hormuz
2026-06-13
Shafaq News – Washington
A senior US official said on Saturday that Britain and France have discussed forming a maritime coalition and have warships nearby and ready to participate in mine clearance in the Strait of Hormuz, noting that the phase following the opening of the strait will witness an intensive and simultaneous operation to remove sea mines.
The official told Reuters that the US and Iran had reached a “very strong” political agreement, noting that statements issued by the Pakistani side today confirmed this significant progress.
He explained that this anticipated agreement obliges Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz as a basic condition, stressing that it is very likely that the vital shipping lane will be opened without imposing any fees.
In return for this move, the official announced that the United States would end its naval blockade of Iran, coinciding directly with the opening of the strait.
Regarding the field arrangements after the agreement, he indicated that the phase following the opening of the strait will witness an intensive and simultaneous military operation to remove sea mines, to ensure the safety of global navigation.
In this context, he revealed that Britain and France had already discussed forming a joint naval alliance, and that they had military vessels present at nearby points, fully prepared to participate immediately in the clearing operations.
The official asserted that the United States would also participate significantly and centrally in the mine-clearing efforts; and that the G7 countries might also join these operations, with the aim of restoring navigational conditions to normal as quickly as possible.
shafaq.com
