As high-level US and Iranian delegations convene in Pakistan for crucial peace talks on Saturday, April 11, 2026, Tehran has signalled willingness to reopen the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz as part of ceasefire efforts. However, a major obstacle has emerged: Iran reportedly cannot locate or clear many of the naval mines it laid in the waterway, according to multiple news outlets citing US officials.
The New York Times reported on April 10 that Iran has been unable to open the strait to significant commercial traffic because it lacks the capability to find and remove all the mines it deployed during the recent conflict. US officials told the paper that many mines were placed haphazardly, with locations not recorded for many mines. Moreover, some mines were laid in such a way that they might have drifted from their original position.
This technical problem has delayed compliance with Donald Trump’s demand for a “complete, immediate, and safe” reopening of the passage, which handles a substantial portion of global oil shipments.
Iran has published some “safe routes,” but these are now considered unreliable given the uncertainty over mine positions.
The talks in Pakistan come amid a fragile two-week ceasefire agreed earlier in the week, which included provisions for regulated passage through the strait under Iranian military coordination. Iranian officials, including a delegation led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf, arrived in Islamabad on Friday.
Tehran has previously indicated it would allow limited transit as a goodwill gesture during the truce period, potentially in exchange for halting attacks and addressing other demands such as reparations or asset releases. However, traffic has remained severely restricted, with far fewer ships passing compared to pre-conflict levels, and President Trump has criticised Iran for doing a “very poor job” of allowing oil through the waterway.
However, Trump has said that the Strait of Hormuz will reopen “fairly soon” with or without Iran’s assistance. He said that US would open up the Gulf and that other countries were ready to help.
President Trump also said that US will not allow any attempts by Iran to impose toll on shirts using the Strait of Hormuz. “No, we’re not going to allow that, it’s international water. If they’re doing that, we’re not going to let that happen,” he said. He has criticised Iran for attempting to use international waterways for leverage, stating that the United States had restrained itself only to allow space for negotiations.
