The Navy sent two guided missile destroyers through the Strait of Hormuz as the first step in its plan to reopen the critical waterway to commercial ship traffic.
On Saturday, U.S. Central Command officials said the USS Frank E. Peterson and the USS Michael Murphy successfully transited the 24-mile-wide chokepoint that connects the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
The operation was part of a “broader mission to ensure the strait is fully clear of sea mines previously laid by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,” Central Command said in a statement.
“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 Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of Central Command.
He said additional U.S. forces, including underwater drones, are scheduled to join the mine clearance effort in the coming days.
The Strait of Hormuz is an international sea passage and the primary export corridor for Arabian Gulf oil and liquefied natural gas, known as LNG. Most Gulf nations have no way to get their oil to market without it. About 20 million to 21 million barrels of oil passed through the strait daily before it was effectively closed off by Iran.
The Strait of Hormuz has become the center stage of the U.S. and Israel’s air campaign against Tehran. Commercial ship traffic through the passage dropped to near zero in March after Iran used mines, drones and missiles to deter transit. The Islamic republic has demanded that vessels transiting the strait pay fees of more than $1 million per ship.
It’s illegal under international law for a country to charge a transit fee for passage through a natural waterway like the Strait of Hormuz. The rules make a distinction between natural straits, which must be free, and man-made canals, where a toll may be collected.
It wasn’t immediately clear if the U.S. demining efforts would be coordinated with allies such as Great Britain, which has announced similar plans.
