00:25A critical global oil
00:27route has turned into a minefield, and the U.S. Navy is racing against time.
00:34In the latest developments, the United States Navy has launched a major operation to clear
00:40mines from the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important energy corridors.
00:46This comes after reports that Iran laid naval mines during recent hostilities, disrupting
00:52shipping and sending shockwaves through global markets. Now, restoring safe passage has become
00:59urgent. Two U.S. destroyers, the USS Frank E. Peterson Jr. and the USS Michael Murphy, are
01:08already in the region. Their role is to secure the area, protect incoming assets, and begin
01:14setting up safe routes for commercial vessels. President Donald Trump says mine-clearing efforts
01:21are underway, but the most critical ships for the mission are still far away. Thousands
01:28of miles away, two Avenger-class minesweepers, the USS Pioneer and the USS Chief, are racing
01:36toward the Gulf from Japan. These are not ordinary warships, built with wooden holes to avoid triggering
01:44magnetic mines. They are among the only vessels in the U.S. fleet designed specifically for
01:50mine-clearing operations, and there are only four of them left. Additional forces are now
01:57converging. A littoral combat ship is moving in from Southeast Asia. An expeditionary sea
02:04base is crossing the Indian Ocean to support operations. Underwater drones and explosive ordnance
02:11teams are also being deployed. Together, this marks one of the largest mine-clearing mobilizations
02:18in decades. But it also exposes a major vulnerability. Just last year, the U.S. removed its dedicated
02:27minesweeper fleet from the Gulf, the very region most likely to need them. Now, those same capabilities
02:34are being rushed back across two oceans. Meanwhile, the threat remains real. Iran is believed to have
02:42laid mines using small boats, possibly without fully tracking their positions. Some of those mines may now
02:50be drifting, unaccounted for. Clearing them is slow and dangerous. Each mine must be located, identified,
02:58and neutralized, all while under potential threat from hostile forces. Until that job is done,
03:06the Strait of Hormuz remains unstable. Shipping traffic has already dropped sharply. Energy markets
03:13are on edge. Because what's at stake here isn't just a waterway. It's a lifeline of the global economy.
03:21And right now, that lifeline is under threat.
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