The United States Military command that oversees operations in West Asia (CENTCOM) said that two of its warships have travelled through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, a claim rejected by Iran. Two destroyers, reportedly the USS Frank E. Peterson and the USS Michael Murphy, had passed through the strait to perform mine-clearing operations laid by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
In a statement, US Admiral Bradley Cooper lauded the ships’ presence in the strait as a turning point in the US and Israeli war against Iran, which started on February 28.
“Today, we began the process of establishing a new passage, and we will share this safe pathway with the maritime industry soon to encourage the free flow of commerce,” he said.
The Iranian side has effectively controlled and shut down the strait for the US and its allies, sending fuel prices surging globally in the aftermath of the war.
An Iranian military spokesperson from Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters swiftly denied the US statement.
He said, “The statement issued by the CENTCOM commander over the approach and entry of American ships into the Strait is rejected. The initiative for the passage and movement of any vessel is in the hands of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
He added that the IRGC would give a “crushing response to unauthorised vessels, including US ships, if they try to cross the Strait of Hormuz.”
The development comes a day after high-level diplomatic talks between the US and Iran ended without making any headway towards a peace settlement. As the deadlock in the talks persists, it is likely that negotiators from both sides will meet again, either in Islamabad or at another venue.
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