How to demine the Strait of Hormuz

the us navy is facing a weeks-long demining effort in the strait of hormuz, even with help from european allies who are reluctant to join. clearing the gulf waterway of mines is slow work — the us has only a handful of specialized vessels in the region, and european navies have been hesitant to commit assets. the strait handles about 20% of the world's oil shipments, so any disruption pushes up shipping insurance rates and crude prices. iran has used mines before, including during the tanker war in the 1980s, and the current operation is expected to take weeks, not days.