Mike Baker

The enforcement implies to vessels of all nations, ships traveling between non-Iranian ports will be allowed to move through the strait.

So, this is essentially a move to squeeze Iran directly.

But as always, executing a policy is a lot more complicated than announcing one.

Even if the policy is now clear, the reality on the water is anything but.

Because before shipping can return to normal,

The U.S.

has to deal with a much more immediate threat, and that's an unknown number of naval mines scattered throughout the Strait.

It's obviously not a simple task.

There's my statement of the obvious for today.

Part of the challenge is that there are several different types of mines deployed by Iran during the conflict.

Some are anchored to the seabed, others sit right on the surface of the water and drift with the currents, and some are designed to latch onto ships themselves in so-called limpet mines.

And in perhaps most concerning detail, there are indications that even the Iranian regime may not know exactly where they all are.

Now, where did I put those darn mines?

U.S.

Central Command is now reportedly beginning the slow, methodical process of clearing them.

First, the U.S.

has to find the mines.

Well, that's obvious.

And that's where underwater drones come in, systems like the Kingfish, a torpedo-shaped autonomous vehicle that can scan the seabed using advanced sonar, building detailed maps of what's below the surface.

At the same time, helicopters equipped with laser detection systems sweep the upper layers of the water, looking for mines floating on the surface or just below it.