Two warships of the United States crossed the Strait of Hormuzthe first transit of its kind since the war began with Iranalthough the Islamic Republic later denied that information.
The ships USS Frank E. Peterson and USS Michael Murphy They thus began an operation to “establish the conditions” to withdraw the mines placed by Iran at that crossing, announced the Central Command of the United States Armed Forces (Centcom).
The boats transited through the strait and the Persian Gulf “as part of a broader mission to ensure that it is completely free of sea mines“thrown by the Revolutionary Guard Iranian, Centcom said in a statement.
“Today we have started the process of establishing a new maritime passage and we will soon share this safe route with the maritime industry to promote free movement of the trade“, declared the head of Centcom, Admiral Brad Cooper.
Centcom stressed that the Strait of Hormuzblocked by Iran in retaliation for the war started by the United States and Israel against the Islamic Republic, is “an international sea lane and a commercial corridor essential that sustains regional and global economic prosperity”.
“Additional US forces, including underwater droneswill join the cleaning efforts in the coming days,” he noted.
Iran later denied that information. “The statement by the Centcom commander regarding the approach and entry of American vessels into the Strait of Hormuz is strongly denied,” said General Khatam al-Anbia Central Command spokesman Colonel Ebrahim Zolfagari, according to Iranian state television.
The military spokesman assured that the initiative for the transit of any ship remains in the hands of the Iranian Armed Forces.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard threatened to deal “severely” with military ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, state television reported Sunday.
“Any attempt by military vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz will be dealt with severely. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy has full authority to manage the Strait of Hormuz intelligently,” declared the Guard’s naval command, according to state broadcaster IRIB.
Previously some media reported that Washington had begun to “unlock“This vital route for global hydrocarbon trade, as Donald Trump assured on Saturday.
This action occurs at times when Iran and USA they begin peace negotiations in Islamabad, Pakistan.
As reported The Wall Street Journalciting three US officials, two destroyers equipped with missiles guided by the United States Navy They crossed the strait without incident.
The operation was carried out without coordination with the Iranian authorities, according to the American media. Axios.
Read also Iran and the US begin peace negotiations in Pakistan; They are direct conversations
Trump affirmed this Saturday that the United States had begun “the process of unblocking of the Strait of Hormuz as a favor to countries around the world, including China, Japan, South Korea, France, Germany and many others,” the Republican wrote on his Truth Social platform.
“Unbelievably, they do not have the courage or the will to do the work themselves,” he added.
Iran blocked the passage of the vast majority of ships through the Strait of Hormuz in response to the attacks by the United States and Israel on February 28, and in theory the reopening of this route was one of the conditions of the ceasefire agreed between Washington and Tehran announced on Tuesday.
The passage of the two American warships is intended to give confidence to merchant ships to navigate through the strait, Axios said.
Read also Iran and the US begin peace negotiations in Pakistan; They are direct conversations
Trump also criticized the media that claims Iran is winning the war against the United States, “when in reality everyone knows they are LOSING, and LOSING BIG.”
“The only thing they have going for them is the threat that a ship could ‘collide’ with one of their sea mines” in the Strait of Hormuz, the president said.
Trump also said that the entire Iranian mineboat fleet, consisting of 28 ships, “lies at the bottom of the sea” from US attacks.
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