The US Navy has entered the vital global shipping route of the Strait of Hormuz for the first time since Donald Trump started war with Iran. American Central Command (CENTCOM) said two US Navy guided-missile destroyers conducted the operation to clear mines from the strait, which normally carries 20% of the world’s oil and gas supplies.
Since the US-Israeli war with Iran began on February 28, the Islamic Republic has closed the Strait, sending global fuel prices skyrocketing and raising inflation fears across the US and Europe. Talks to end the conflict have started in Pakistan today (Saturday) with an American delegation led by US Vice President JD Vance.
Perhaps in a sign of some success in the negotiations, CENTCOM released a statement revealing that USS Frank E. Peterson and USS Michael Murphy transited the Strait of Hormuz in the past few hours.
The statement said the ships operated as part of a broader mission in the Arabian Gulf to ensure that the strait is completely free of sea mines previously laid by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.
Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM, said: “Today, we began the process of establishing a new passage and we will soon share this safe passage with the maritime industry to encourage the free flow of commerce.”
The CENTCOM statement said additional US forces, including underwater drones, would join the evacuation effort in the coming days.
The United States and Iran on Saturday began face-to-face talks in Pakistan, days after announcing a fragile two-week ceasefire. The war, entering its seventh week, has killed thousands of people and roiled global markets.
Iran’s state news agency said the three-party talks, including with Pakistan, began after Iranian pre-conditions were met, including a reduction in Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon, and US and Iranian officials met separately with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The US delegation led by J.D. Vance and the Iranian delegation led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf were discussing how to advance a ceasefire already at risk due to deep disagreements and Israel’s continued attacks against Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, whose health ministry said the death toll has exceeded 2,000.
Iran doubled down on parts of its earlier proposal, with its delegation telling Iranian state television that it had presented some of the plan’s ideas as “red lines” in meetings with Sharif. These included compensation for damages caused by the US-Israeli attacks that started the war and the release of Iran’s frozen assets.
