War in the Middle East: Washington asserts starting demining of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran denies

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 maritime route controlled by Iran, a claim denied by Tehran amid ongoing talks between the two countries in Pakistan.

The two ships operated as part of a larger mission to ensure that the strait is completely cleared of marine mines previously laid by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, according to the US military’s Central Command (Centcom).

Iranian armed forces spokesperson Ebrahim Zolfaghari strongly rejected the claims and asserted that the decision regarding the passage of any ship through the Strait of Hormuz lies with the Iranian armed forces.

The announcement by Centcom came at the start of peace talks between the US and Iran in Pakistan, where the issue of traffic in the strait is significant.

Navigation has remained obstructed in this strategic maritime route for oil and global trade since the beginning of the war, despite its reopening being a condition of the ceasefire.

“We have initiated the process to establish a new passage and will soon share this safe route with the maritime industry to promote free trade movement,” stated US admiral Brad Cooper, head of Centcom.

Additional American forces, including underwater drones, are set to join the demining efforts in the coming days, as confirmed by the admiral. Former President Donald Trump also mentioned the US starting the process of “blocking the Strait of Hormuz” on his Truth Social platform.

This operation is depicted as a “favor for countries around the world, including China, Japan, South Korea, France, Germany, and many others,” according to the current President of the US.

In a pointed remark, Trump criticized the media for suggesting that Iran is winning the war against the US when, in reality, everyone knows “they are losing big.”

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