On Saturday, April 11th, the American military stated that two of its destroyers had crossed the Strait of Hormuz to carry out demining operations in this strategic waterway controlled by Iran, a claim denied by Tehran amidst ongoing talks between the two countries in Pakistan.
The two ships operated as part of a broader mission to ensure that the strait is completely cleared of marine mines previously laid by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, said the US Central Command in a statement.
These claims were strongly rejected by the spokesperson for the Iranian armed forces, Ebrahim Zolfaghari, as reported by state television.
The announcement from Centcom came at the beginning of peace talks between the US and Iran in Pakistan, during which the issue of traffic in the strait is significant.
Navigation remains obstructed in this strategic waterway for global oil and trade, nearly blocked by Iran since the start of the war, despite its reopening being a condition of the ceasefire.
“We have begun the process to establish a new passage, and we will soon share this safe route with the maritime industry to promote free trade circulation,” said Admiral Brad Cooper, head of Centcom, in a statement.
Additional American forces, including underwater drones, will join demining efforts in the coming days, according to the admiral. Former President Donald Trump had earlier announced the US’s process of “blocking the Strait of Hormuz.”
This operation is presented as a “favor to countries around the world, including China, Japan, South Korea, France, Germany, and many others,” said the American president.
In a surprising move, Trump criticized the media for claiming that Iran was winning the war against the US, stating that everyone knows “they are losing, and losing big.”
“The only thing in their favor is the threat of a ship ‘hitting’ one of their naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz,” he acknowledged, while asserting that “all of their 28 mine-laying ships lie at the bottom of the sea” following American strikes.
Without providing details, the American president also asserted that “empty tankers from many countries are all heading to the United States of America to load up on oil.”
(Source: AFP) Personalize your news by adding your favorite cities and media with My News.
