Two US Navy destroyers crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday to begin an operation to remove Iranian mines in the strategic pass, the US Central Command (Centcom) said.
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Hormuz is an essential trade corridor for the global economy. Photo:EFE/EPA/Ali Haider
The ships USS Frank E. Peterson and USS Michael Murphy They transited through the Strait and the Persian Gulf “as part of a broader mission to ensure that it is completely free of sea mines” dropped by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Centcom’s top official, Admiral Brad Cooper, said in a statement.
“We will soon share this safe route with the maritime industry to encourage the free flow of trade,” he added.
Centcom stressed that the Strait of Hormuz, blocked by Iran in retaliation for attacks initiated by the United States and Israel against the Islamic republic, is “an international sea lane and an essential trade corridor that supports regional and global economic prosperity.”
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The opening of Hormuz is part of the two-week truce between the US and Iran. Photo:@CENTCOM/X
“Additional US forces, including underwater drones, will join the cleanup efforts in the coming days,” he pointed out.
This announcement comes after the temporary truce agreed between the United States and Iran, countries that this Saturday began peace negotiations in Pakistan.
US President Donald Trump also said on his Truth Social platform that the “clearance process” of mines in the Strait of Hormuz has begun.
“We are now beginning the process of cleaning the Strait of Hormuz as a favor to countries around the world including China, Japan, South Korea, France, Germany and many others“he assured.
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Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for attacks by the US and Israel. Photo:AFP
Trump, who has criticized his allies in recent weeks for refusing to militarily reopen the sea route blocked by Tehran, assured that those countries “do not have the courage or the will to do this job themselves.”
Some ships have transited the Strait of Hormuz since the beginning of the ceasefire, although tensions between both countries maintain uncertainty about the strength of the truce.
