What the Pentagon has confirmed
Two United States warships have sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, the US military announced on Saturday, in what officials described as the opening move of a plan to begin removing mines from one of the world’s most strategically important shipping lanes.
In a post on X, US Central Command said the transit had been intended to begin “setting conditions for clearing mines in the Strait of Hormuz”, the narrow waterway through which a substantial share of the global oil trade passes.
The move comes as concerns continue to mount over disruption to traffic through the strait, which has been at the centre of diplomatic and commercial tensions in recent weeks.
