US Navy ships reportedly push through Strait as Trump says forces are ‘clearing’ it
Several U.S. Navy ships transited the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, a U.S. official told Axios, in what they described as an operation aimed at “reinforcing freedom of navigation in international waters.”
The official said the ships crossed from east to west into the Persian Gulf before returning through the strait to the Arabian Sea. The movement marked the first known transit by U.S. warships through the strait since the start of the war against Iran.
The operation was not coordinated with Iran, according to the official, who said it was intended to boost confidence among commercial vessels amid concerns about security in the region.
Iranian state media characterized the transit as a violation of a ceasefire agreement and reported threats to target the ships. The U.S. official said no such warning was received.
The transit comes as the reopening of the strait remains a key provision of the U.S.-Iran ceasefire deal. The waterway, which lies off Iran’s southern coast, is a critical route for global oil shipments and broader international trade.
Shipping traffic has remained limited in the days following the ceasefire, with only a small number of vessels eported to have passed through Saturday. A U.S. official said earlier in the week that some ships had avoided the route due to intimidation concerns.
In a social media post early Saturday, President Donald Trump referenced efforts to secure the strait, stating that the U.S. was “starting the process of clearing out the Strait of Hormuz” and downplaying Iran’s military capabilities.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
