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US Navy Rushes to Return Minesweepers from Singapore to Persian Gulf
The USS Tulsa and USS Santa Barbara, equipped with mine countermeasures, are being rushed back to the Persian Gulf amid fears Iran has deployed mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
- On Wednesday, U.S. officials confirmed the USS Tulsa and USS Santa Barbara, littoral combat ships equipped with mine-clearing modules, are in Singapore for maintenance, creating a strategic gap near the Strait of Hormuz.
- The U.S. Navy decommissioned its specialized Avenger-class minesweepers last year, replacing them with these Independence-class vessels, which officials stated require refitting after extended operations in the region.
- Iran has deployed mines in the Strait of Hormuz, threatening a vital waterway servicing a fifth of global oil trade, while U.S. Fifth Fleet officials acknowledge having "not a lot of options."
- Navy officials are attempting to expedite the ships' return to the Persian Gulf, though they declined to provide a timeframe, citing maintenance needs after continuous deployment.
- Strategists warn this absence exposes a failure in U.S. planning, as sophisticated vessels remain far from the theater while Iran deploys low-cost asymmetric weapons to deny maritime access.
26 Articles
26 Articles
US eyes swift Middle East return of mine sweepers held up in Singapore, official says
The U.S. Navy hopes to expedite the return to the Persian Gulf of two ships refitted for minesweeping now undergoing maintenance in Singapore, a senior U.S. official said on Wednesday, as concerns mount over Iranian threats to mine the Strait of Hormuz.
Why Iran’s ‘drifting’ mines in the Strait of Hormuz will be so difficult to clear
Within days of war being declared, Iran had laid mines in the 40km-wide sea passage which typically serves as a key waterway for around a quarter of the world’s liquefied natural gas and seaborne oil trade.
Despite the United States strike force, which sent two aircraft carriers to the region, Iran has the means of nuisance with its drones and the threat of mines, which are sufficient for the moment to prohibit navigation in the strategic sea crossing.
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