Iran war LIVE UPDATES: US warships cross Strait of Hormuz as mine-clearing plans continue
The Iran war is driving fresh maritime flashpoints, and right now the Strait of Hormuz is back in the spotlight. The US military said it is preparing for mine-clearing operations as two Navy destroyers transited the waterway. It’s a corridor through which about 20 per cent of the world’s oil normally flows, a fact that makes every move here instantly global.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a news release that the destroyers are part of a broader mission to ensure the strait is fully clear of sea mines previously laid by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. In other words, this isn’t just a routine transit—it’s a push to neutralise a threat the US says is already in place.
At the same time, Iran is disputing the US version of events.
Iran’s state media earlier on Saturday said it had forced a US military ship attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz to turn around. A spokesperson for Iran’s joint military command denied the US claim that the two Navy destroyers transited the waterway, adding that “initiative over the passage of any vessel rests with the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran”, according to Iran’s state media.
What stands out is the timing and the wider context. The Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed to most oil and gas freighters since the US and Israel began to strike Israel on February 28. Since then, the region has been operating under a kind of fragile, high-alert uncertainty—where every new transit, denial, or operational statement can ripple quickly through shipping routes.
For now, US and Iranian accounts are directly colliding. And with both sides speaking publicly, the question people keep asking is simple: who controls the passage next—and what happens if the standoff escalates beyond words?
