US says two warships cross Strait of Hormuz for mine-clearing; Iran claims vessels turned back after warning
Axios, citing an unidentified US official, reported that the crossing was the first since the start of the conflict six weeks ago and was not coordinated with Iran. The ships reportedly crossed from east to west into the Gulf before returning to the Arabian Sea.
Two US Navy destroyers transited the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday to begin mine-clearing operations in the vital waterway, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said, even as conflicting accounts emerged from Iranian and regional sources and ceasefire talks continued in Islamabad.
USS Frank E. Peterson (DDG-121) and USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112) are now in the Persian Gulf after transiting the strait as part of the US plan to “ensure the strait is fully clear of sea mines”, according to a CENTCOM news release.
CENTCOM said the destroyers crossed through the strait and operated in the Arabian Gulf, adding that additional US forces, including underwater drones, would join the clearance effort in the coming days.
US President Donald Trump also confirmed the operation, saying on Truth Social that the United States was doing “a favor to Countries all over the world” by clearing mines from the strait. Trump also claimed that all of Iran’s mine-laying ships had been destroyed.
Earlier, Axios, citing an unidentified US official, reported that two US Navy ships crossed the strait — the first such transit since the conflict began six weeks ago — and that the movement was not coordinated with Iran.
Iranian media also rejected the claim. The semi-official Fars news agency reported that Iranian forces monitored a US destroyer moving from Fujairah toward the Strait of Hormuz and conveyed a warning via Pakistani mediators. The vessel turned back after Tehran warned it would be targeted.
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Iranian state television later said its forces issued a 30-minute ultimatum to a US destroyer approaching from Fujairah, warning it to turn back or face attack. A senior Iranian military official subsequently denied that any US ship had completed the crossing.
Shipping activity remains far below normal levels. The Financial Times reported that only three supertankers crossed the strait on Saturday, compared with a pre-war daily average of about 135 vessels.
Pakistan is mediating between Washington and Tehran in Islamabad amid the two-week ceasefire, with hostilities now in their second month.
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Oil flows shift as Gulf supply tightens
The disruption has begun reshaping global oil flows. Trump said on Truth Social that “massive numbers of completely empty oil tankers” were heading to the United States to load American crude.
US crude settled at $96.57 on Friday, trading at a premium to Brent crude at $95.20, reflecting rising demand for non-Gulf oil.
Historic talks remain deadlocked
Meanwhile, the Islamabad talks — the highest-level direct engagement between Washington and Tehran since 1979 — remained deadlocked.
US Vice President JD Vance led the American delegation alongside Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, while Iran’s 70-member team was headed by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, according to Al Jazeera.
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