The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) says that the recent action by U.S. forces against positions of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in order to prevent mine-laying in the Strait of Hormuz was “limited and precise” and was carried out to address an “imminent threat” to shipping.

CENTCOM rejected the IRGC’s claim that the action was “an invasion” and said that Iranian forces themselves had created the threat, and that the U.S. Army removed it to protect non-military mariners, commercial vessels, and the free flow of global trade.

Meanwhile, Hawkins’ team, CENTCOM’s spokesperson, says that U.S. forces completed last week the clearance of naval mines from international shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz.

He said that U.S. forces are closely monitoring the area and are ready to protect the “free flow of trade” in this waterway.

In the meantime, diplomatic efforts mediated by countries including Pakistan and Qatar to end the war have not yet yielded results.

📷 Gallo Images/Orbital Horizon/Copernicus Sentinel Data 2026