Increased U.S. Anti-Mine Presence in the Persian Gulf

The U.S. Navy has dispatched four Avenger-class mine countermeasures ships to the Persian Gulf. The vessels, which are expected to arrive in June, are part of a U.S. plan to reinforce its underwater mine-hunting capabilities in the region.

While the ships will better position the United States to respond in case Iran were to mine the Strait of Hormuz, even limited action in the strait can cause significant consternation, especially in crude oil markets. Thus, these increased capabilities will not alter Iran's underlying ability to disrupt traffic in the strait.