With the blockade looming, there are questions about San Diego warships cleaning mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
Military analysts say some San Diego based Navy ships still struggle to find and destroy sea mines, even as tensions rise near Iran and the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump says mine removal is critical to reopening global shipping lanes. However, critics point to ongoing problems with littoral combat ships, many of them based in San Diego, that were designed for this exact mission.
The Navy says destroyers USS Frank E. Peterson and USS Michael Murphy are now working to clear a safe route through the strait, which moves nearly 25 percent of the world's petroleum and crude oil.
The Navy has not said what role those ships will play next, as operations continue in the region.