U.S. deploys sea drones in Persian Gulf to ward off possible Iranian mine attacks

Washington, July 12 (ANI): The U.S. Navy is sending underwater drones, known as the SeaFox, to the Persian Gulf to destroy sea mines as part of an operation aimed at preventing Iran from closing the strategically located Strait of Hormuz in the event of a conflict.

The Los Angeles Times quoted a U.S. official, as saying that the drones are only 88 pounds and four feet long and remotely guided submersibles carry a TV camera.

The drone can detect and destroy a mine and destroy itself.

The Navy bought dozens of German-made devices in February after an urgent request by Marine General James Mattis, the top U.S. commander in the Middle East, for more minesweeping capabilities in the region, officials said.

Some U.S. officials worry that Iran may respond to the West's tightening sanctions on its banking and energy sectors, including a European Union oil embargo, by launching or sponsoring attacks on vulnerable oil tankers or platforms in or near the crucial strait.

Some officials in Tehran have threatened to close the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman, a choke point for a fifth of the oil traded worldwide, using sea mines, speedboats and coastal missile batteries against military or commercial targets.

Pentagon has taken the threat seriously, although analysts doubt Iran would risk provoking a direct conflict with the United States.

Reopening the strait could take the Navy and its allies five to 10 days, officials said. But experts said even a temporary disruption of tanker traffic could cause global oil prices to soar and spark widespread economic turmoil.

In a recent unclassified report to Congress, the Defense Department said Iran's "conventional military capabilities continue to improve," citing its "new ships and submarines".

It noted that Tehran has threatened to close the strait 'in response to increasing sanctions and in the event Iran is attacked'.

It warned that Tehran 'has methodically cultivated a network of sponsored terrorist surrogates capable of targeting U.S. and Israeli interests.' (ANI)