WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - U.S. Central Command forces prepared to start clearing mines in the Strait of Hormuz, as two Navy destroyers conducted operations.
The USS Frank E. Peterson and the USS Michael Murphy transited the strait and operated in the Persian Gulf as part of a broader mission to ensure the strait is fully clear of sea mines previously laid by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.
'Today, we began the process of establishing a new passage, and we will share this safe pathway with the maritime industry soon to encourage the free flow of commerce,' said Navy Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most important and strategic maritime corridors, with nearly one-fifth of global oil trade and large volumes of commercial goods passing through it each day.
Several vessels were struck while attempting to cross the chokepoint since the conflict escalated. Traffic has fallen sharply, from a daily average of 129 ships in February to just a handful in March and April.
Additional U.S. forces, including underwater drones, will join the clearance effort in the coming days, the Pentagon said.
Meanwhile, in an interview with Fox News, US Vice-President JD Vance described Iran's blockade in the Strait of Hormuz an 'act of economic terrorism'.
'Well, as the president of the United States showed, two can play at that game. If the Iranians are going to try to engage in economic terrorism, we're going to abide by the simple principle that no Iranian ships are getting out, either,' he told Fox News' Brett Baier.
The Trump-ordered blockade of vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas in the Strait of Hormuz has begun at 10 a.m. ET Monday, and is in place, according to Trump.
But BBC reported citing Data from MarineTraffic that two U.S.-sanctioned tankers have passed through the vital energy route after Washington's naval blockade began.
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