The Media Line: US Begins Clearing Strait of Hormuz; Iran Claims It Can’t Locate Mines  

US Begins Clearing Strait of Hormuz; Iran Claims It Can’t Locate Mines  

By The Media Line Staff  

The United States began operations to clear the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday as US-Iran peace talks opened in Islamabad. Additionally, US officials reported Iran said it is unable to find mines, complicating efforts to open the Strait.   

President Donald Trump said the effort was underway, writing on Truth Social, “We’re now starting the process of clearing out the Strait of Hormuz as a favor to Countries all over the World, including China, Japan, South Korea, France, Germany, and many others.” In the same post, he said that Iran was “losing big.”  

The Pentagon reported that US Central Command (CENTCOM) forces “began setting conditions for clearing mines” in the Strait on Saturday. It added that two warships, the USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. and the USS Michael Murphy, transited the Strait of Hormuz as part of the operation.  

Maritime tracking data showed at least one US warship, the USS Michael Murphy, moving through the Strait on Saturday. A senior Iranian military official said the vessel turned back after receiving a warning that it would be attacked if it continued. A US official denied that account, according to Axios.  

Disputes over the Strait are expected to play a major role in the talks underway in Pakistan’s capital. The United States is seeking the reopening of maritime traffic, while Iran has maintained that it should retain authority over the waterway and has proposed charging fees for ship passage.  

According to the New York Times, citing US officials, Iran has been unable to locate the mines it deployed in the Strait and lacks the capacity to remove them, limiting its ability to reopen the route to shipping.  

The developments come as delegations from Washington and Tehran began discussions in Islamabad aimed at advancing a broader diplomatic process. The status of the Strait of Hormuz has emerged as a key issue shaping the early stage of negotiations.