WASHINGTON: US guided-missile destroyers have passed through the Strait of Hormuz and entered the Gulf as part of a new mission to restore maritime traffic in the vital waterway, the US military said Monday.
The warships "are currently operating in the Arabian Gulf after transiting the Strait of Hormuz in support of Project Freedom," US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on X, referring to the operation announced by President Donald Trump on Sunday.
"American forces are actively assisting efforts to restore transit for commercial shipping," CENTCOM said, adding that "two US-flagged merchant vessels have successfully transited through the Strait of Hormuz and are safely headed on their journey."
Tehran's forces effectively closed the strait -- a key route for oil and gas shipments -- in response to the US-Israeli military campaign that began on February 28, while Washington is maintaining a blockade of Iranian ports.
Iran said earlier Monday that it had fired missiles at a US warship in the Strait of Hormuz, but CENTCOM said that "no US Navy ships have been struck."
Trump has indefinitely extended what was an initial two-week ceasefire that brought a halt to the fighting, but the conflict -- and its widespread economic fallout -- remains unresolved.