The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Saturday that its forces have begun clearing naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, with two Navy destroyers operating in the waterway as part of efforts to restore safe maritime navigation.
CENTCOM said the destroyers USS Frank E. Peterson and USS Michael Murphy had passed through the strait and were operating in the Persian Gulf as part of a broader mission aimed at removing mines previously laid by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
"Today, we began the process of creating a new passage and will soon share this safe route with the maritime industry to encourage the free flow of commerce," he said CENTCOM commander Gen. Brad Cooper.
The command added that additional American assets, including underwater drones, are expected to join the operation in the coming days.