An Unprecedented Minesweeping Exercise in the Strait of Hormuz

On Sept. 16, the United States and more than 30 other nations from six continents launched the International Mine Countermeasures Exercise 2012 — the largest international mine-clearing training operations ever held in the Middle East. The naval exercise, which is scheduled to last until Sept. 27 and is intended to become a recurring event, will include a briefing symposium in Bahrain and several joint maneuvers in the Gulf of Aden, the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf.

The exercise serves multiple purposes: It will improve minesweeping coordination among the United States and its allies, while helping the U.S. Navy redress what it has called a general deficiency in mine countermeasure capabilities. It also signals to Tehran that an international coalition is well prepared to counter an attempt by Iran to block the Strait of Hormuz, thereby undermining Tehran's ability to leverage the strait to deter an attack.