The U.S. military said it had cleared all Iranian sea mines from internationally recognized shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz. Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command (Centcom), said in a video posted to X on Thursday evening that the mines had been laid months ago by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. If the clearance is confirmed, vessel movement through the key oil-trade waterway will most likely face fewer restrictions. Traffic has been severely restricted during the nearly six-month war against Iran, contributing to elevated oil and gas prices. AAA said the average U.S. price for a regular gallon of gasoline was about $4.10 late Thursday, up from about $3.21 a year earlier. Separately, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday warned countries to end all financial ties with Iran or risk being barred from the U.S. dollar system, launching an economic pressure campaign called Operation Economic Outcast and promoted as a financial D-Day modeled on the American invasion of Normandy in World War II.