11/04/2026
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11/04/2026
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US CENTCOM (AP), Apr 11: The U.S. military has begun mine-clearing preparations in the Strait of Hormuz, with two U.S. Navy destroyers transiting the vital waterway as part of a broader effort to restore safe maritime navigation, according to the United States Central Command.
CENTCOM said the destroyers USS Frank E. Peterson and USS Michael Murphy operated in the Persian Gulf as part of a mission aimed at clearing sea mines allegedly laid by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, with additional assets, including underwater drones, expected to join the operation in the coming days.
Officials stated that the objective is to establish a secure passage for commercial shipping and ensure the free flow of global trade through the strait, which normally carries around 20% of the world’s oil shipments.
CENTCOM commander Gen. Brad Cooper said efforts are underway to open a safe maritime corridor that will soon be shared with the global shipping industry.
Meanwhile, Iranian state media claimed earlier that a U.S. naval vessel attempting to cross the strait had been forced to turn back, though Washington has not confirmed the report.
The developments come amid heightened tensions in the region, where maritime traffic has been severely disrupted in recent weeks due to ongoing security concerns and geopolitical instability.
But later, a spokesperson for Iran’s joint military command denied an earlier U.S. claim that two Navy destroyers had transited the waterway, stating that “initiative over the passage of any vessel rests with the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” according to Iranian state media.
The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow gateway through which roughly 20% of global oil and natural gas shipments pass, is expected to be a key point of contention in ongoing negotiations between the United States and Iran, which are currently taking place in Islamabad under Pakistani mediation.