Reactions and statements from the international community
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that American warships conducted mine-clearing operations and passed through the Strait of Hormuz.
On Saturday, U.S. Central Command initiated mine clearance preparations in the Strait of Hormuz, with two U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers, the USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. and USS Michael Murphy, conducting operations in the Persian Gulf. Additional U.S. forces, including unmanned underwater vehicles, are scheduled to join the clearance efforts in the coming days.
The Financial Times reported that talks between the United States and the Islamic Republic in Pakistan over control of the Strait of Hormuz remain at an impasse, with the Islamic Republic insisting on retaining sole control and the ability to collect tolls from ships. Technical talks are set to resume on Saturday evening.
President Trump claims in a social media post that the United States has destroyed the entire Iranian military, including the navy and air force, and that Iranian leadership has been killed, asserting that the Strait of Hormuz will reopen soon.
During a direct meeting between officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States in Islamabad, former U.S. President Donald Trump renewed calls for the "destruction" of Iran's navy and air force, stating that the Strait of Hormuz would soon be reopened and that empty oil tankers were racing toward America to load up. Trump also claimed that the media was misleading the public about the situation, asserting that the U.S. was not losing.
In a social media post, former US President Donald Trump claimed that the United States has destroyed Iran's military forces and killed its leadership, asserting that the Strait of Hormuz will soon be open and that the fake news media is either crazy or corrupt.
President Donald Trump of the United States announced the commencement of a demining operation in the Strait of Hormuz, stating that all 28 mine-laying ships of the Islamic Republic have been sunk; however, Iranian government news agencies have denied this claim.
On Saturday, two U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers passed through the Strait of Hormuz as part of a freedom of navigation mission, marking the first such passage since the start of the conflict. This occurred concurrently with U.S. and Islamic Republic negotiating teams meeting in Pakistan to discuss ceasefire terms.
The New York Times reports that Iran is unable to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz due to an inability to locate all the mines it deployed at the start of the conflict.
Iranian state television, IRIB, reported that a senior military official warned a U.S. military vessel to halt its approach towards the Strait of Hormuz, threatening an attack if the vessel continued within 30 minutes; this came after reports that U.S. Navy ships had passed through the strait without coordination with Iran, which Iran denied.
President Trump announced the beginning of operations to secure the Strait of Hormuz, stating it was being done as a favor for multiple countries including China, Japan, South Korea, France, Germany, and others, who he claimed lacked the will to undertake the task themselves.
On Saturday, coinciding with the Islamabad negotiations, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. military had begun clearing the Strait of Hormuz and had sunk all of Iran's minelaying ships. Trump also stated that Iran's military capabilities had been significantly degraded, with many of its naval and air forces, as well as missile and drone factories, largely destroyed.
