The operation is part of a broader mission to clear a key waterway of naval mines previously laid by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said.
As Admiral Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander, emphasized, these activities are crucial to ensuring the safe flow of trade in the region. “Today we started the process of creating a new crossing and will soon open this safe route to the maritime sector,” Cooper said.
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Mined strait
The passage of the destroyers through the Strait of Hormuz is the first operation of this type since the beginning of the conflict with Iran, which broke out on February 28 this year. This mission coincided with planned negotiations between the US and Iran, which are to be held in Pakistan.
President Donald Trump earlier announced that the United States was undertaking the cleanup of the Strait of Hormuz “as a favor to countries around the world.” As he pointed out, the main obstacle to the free movement of ships in this area is the risk of striking a sea mine.
According to reports from the Wall Street Journal and other American media, Iran allegedly told the United States that it was unable to determine the exact location of mines in the strait. However, President Trump, in an interview with NewsNation television, did not confirm this information, emphasizing that the United States has knowledge about the location of the mines.
