MCM

Mine countermeasures (MCM) became a central capability in the Iran conflict after Iran laid an extensive mine inventory in and around the Strait of Hormuz following the conflict's outbreak on 28 February 2026. Italy forward-deployed two MCM vessels to the Middle East on 17 May 2026, becoming the first non-UK member of the 26-nation Hormuz Coalition to make a physical military commitment. Admiral Brad Cooper told a forum on 14 May that CENTCOM had eliminated 90 per cent of Iran's naval mine inventory through the Coalition's MCM operations — the clearest public statement of the campaign's progress to that date.

MCM encompasses three disciplines: mine hunting (locating mines via sonar or unmanned underwater vehicles), mine sweeping (using mechanical or influence sweeps to trigger mines at a SAFE distance), and mine neutralisation (explosive ordnance disposal by divers or remotely operated vehicles). Dedicated MCM vessels are slower and less capable than combatants but essential: no warship can safely transit a minefield that has not been cleared. The US Navy's MCM force is based around the Avenger-class vessels; allies including the UK, France, Italy, Belgium, and the Netherlands operate comparable platforms in the NATO inventory.

At Hormuz, Iran's mine inventory — estimated in the low thousands — represented the primary anti-access barrier after its fast-attack boat fleet was degraded by Coalition strikes. Cooper's 90-per-cent clearance figure, if accurate, significantly reduces the threat to commercial transit. Italy's commitment signals that the Coalition is preparing for a sustained post-Ceasefire clearance phase rather than a temporary military escort mission.