US Begins Clearing Mines in Strait of Hormuz

Two U.S. missile destroyers started clearing mines in the Strait of Hormuz on April 11 as peace talks kicked off between Washington and the Iranian regime, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed.

“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,” CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper said in a statement on April 11.

The American ships included the USS Frank E. Peterson and USS Michael Murphy.

CENTCOM revealed that the mission on April 11 is part of a broader goal to make the crucial waterway, located on the southwest coast of Iran, clear of sea mines laid by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

President Donald Trump said that the April 11 operation was “a favor to Countries all over the World, including China, Japan, South Korea, France, Germany, and many others.”

“Incredibly, they don’t have the Courage or Will to do this work themselves,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.

The Epoch Times contacted the White House Press Office and CENTCOM for additional information but received no response.

The April 11 confirmation of the mine-clearing came hours after a United States government vessel was spotted entering the Strait of Hormuz, according to the ship-tracking intelligence platform MarineTraffic.com.

It’s not clear whether this was related to CENTCOM’s mine-clearing mission.

As part of a series of posts on the morning of April 11, Trump said countries are sending ships to the United States to “load up” with oil as the Iran war has heavily slowed down oil and gas operations in the Persian Gulf.

“We have more oil than the next two largest oil economies combined—and higher quality. We are waiting for you,” Trump wrote in a separate post on April 11.

The updates from Trump came hours after Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner, an adviser and Trump’s son-in-law, arrived in Islamabad to attend in-person negotiations with Iranian leadership amid a fragile two-week ceasefire.

As he departed Washington, Vance said that he hoped the outcome was “going to be positive.”

The talks, moderated by Pakistani leadership, were set to begin at about 11 a.m. ET on April 11, a senior White House official confirmed to The Epoch Times.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote on X in Persian that the country’s delegation will guard its interests “with all its might” and “engage in negotiations with courage.”

Iranian state media outlet Press TV reported that Iranian negotiating teams will extend their stay in Islamabad only if they think progress can be made.