US Starts Clearing the Strait of Hormuz as Iran‑US Peace Talks Launch

President Donald Trump announced Saturday that the United States has begun “clearing out” the Strait of Hormuz, coinciding with the inaugural direct peace talks between Washington and Tehran in Islamabad.

“We’re now starting the process of clearing out the Strait of Hormuz as a favor to Countries all over the World,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The move follows a two‑week ceasefire agreed Tuesday to allow negotiations to proceed.

US Navy Begins Clearing the Strait of Hormuz Amid Tehran Talks

Pentagon officials said CENTCOM forces started “setting conditions for clearing mines” and that ↑ 2 warships, the USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. and USS Michael Murphy, transited the corridor on Saturday. Iranian state TV claimed one vessel turned back after a warning of attack, a charge the U.S. denied, Reuters reported.

What the Negotiators Demand for the Strait of Hormuz

Reopening the passage is a core U.S. demand; Iran has blocked tanker traffic since the war’s outset, leveraging the narrow waterway that carries roughly one‑fifth of global oil shipments. The Iranian delegation, led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, presented a 10‑point proposal that calls for lifting sanctions, retaining control of the Strait, and ending Israeli strikes on Lebanon. Washington countered with a 15‑point plan that seeks to curtail Iran’s nuclear and missile programs while restoring free navigation. Vice President J.D. Vance heads the U.S. team, joined by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, a lineup criticized by career diplomats for prioritizing political allies over seasoned foreign‑policy experts. The talks, the highest‑level U.S.–Iran face‑to‑face engagement since 1979, could shape the political fortunes of Vance, a potential 2028 presidential contender. Meanwhile, the human toll rises: ↓ 1,701 civilians killed in Iran, including 254 children, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency, and over 1,900 deaths reported in Lebanon from Israeli bombardment. The outcome will determine whether the strategic waterway reopens for commerce or remains a flashpoint in a protracted conflict.

Dispatch from Vance Sterling (Crisis & Global Conflict Director).