US navy ships transit Strait of Hormuz as Trump orders clearance

Several U.S. Navy warships passed through the Strait of Hormuz as talks opened in Islamabad, according to participants in the discussions, in a move that appeared to undercut Iran’s position that the waterway could not yet be reopened.

Iranian negotiators told counterparts in Islamabad that the strait remained unusable because mines were still in the water. The U.S. naval transit, carried out without any announced coordination with Iranian authorities, suggested Washington was prepared to challenge that assessment directly.

President Donald Trump reinforced that message, saying, “We’re now starting the process of clearing out Hormuz,” and adding that many tankers were heading to U.S. ports to load oil cargoes.

The passage of U.S. warships through the corridor added a new layer of tension to the negotiations. Analysts said the move could be interpreted by Tehran as an escalation, particularly if it is seen as an attempt to reopen the strait on U.S. terms rather than through a negotiated arrangement.

Some analysts also warned that a concentration or rerouting of tankers toward U.S. ports could affect oil flows and lift domestic U.S. crude and gasoline prices in the near term.

The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea and remains one of the world’s most important routes for seaborne oil. Any disruption there quickly feeds into global energy markets and regional security calculations.