The Japan Times - US says Hormuz mines cleared as diplomacy and military deployments continue

US Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper said mines laid by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps had been removed from the Strait of Hormuz, calling the operation a milestone for the oil shipping route.

The mission supported the passage of more than 1,500 vessels carrying 750 million barrels of oil and involved more than 20 warships and hundreds of aircraft. Commercial traffic nevertheless remained below normal levels, and assessments cited in the report cautioned that the waterway was not necessarily free of every mine.

International Maritime Organization Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said about 6,000 seafarers aboard 400 ships were still stranded in the strait. He warned that continued disruption could affect global supply chains and the wider economy because of the route's importance to trade and energy shipments.

Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran on Thursday. Qatar's Foreign Ministry said they discussed regional developments, their effect on security and stability, and efforts to reduce tensions and create conditions for dialogue.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said diplomacy with Washington could resume if the United States ended its pressure campaign, rebuilt trust, respected Iran's rights and upheld commitments. Iran's Foreign Ministry separately condemned the latest US economic measures as illegal and harmful to civilians.

US President Donald Trump ruled out immediate negotiations and said the reopening of Hormuz did not mean American military action against Iran was over. He also indicated that sanctions on Chinese banks over dealings with Iran remained under consideration.

The USS Theodore Roosevelt strike group is expected to leave San Diego in the coming weeks for a deployment of more than seven months, according to the US Naval Institute. It is due to relieve the USS George Washington, which arrived from Japan and had replaced the USS Abraham Lincoln.

Kuwait Petroleum Corporation was also reported to be discussing expanded pipeline access with Saudi Arabia and the UAE as Kuwait considers alternative crude export routes that would reduce its dependence on Hormuz.

Prince Turki Al-Faisal, a former Saudi intelligence chief, argued in an opinion article that Iran's use of the strait as leverage could become a strategic liability. The commentary appeared amid stalled US-Iran talks after the collapse of a June 17, 2026 memorandum of understanding.

Elsewhere in the region on Friday, Gaza authorities said Israeli strikes killed five people, including three members of one family in Al-Qarara east of Khan Yunis and two others in later attacks. The Israeli military said it was examining the Al-Qarara report. The Israeli military also said it carried out an airstrike against what it described as several terrorists in the Jenin area of the occupied West Bank.

S.Yamada--JT