By Kerry Breen
Updated on: April 11, 2026 / 10:45 PM EDT / CBS News
Two U.S. Navy destroyers transited the Strait of Hormuz to begin mine-clearing operations in the vital waterway, U.S. Central Command said Saturday. CENTCOM said the destroyers crossed the Strait and operated in the Arabian Gulf, and that additional U.S. forces, including underwater drones, will join the clearance effort in the coming days.
President Trump said on Truth Social that the U.S. was doing “a favor to Countries all over the world” by clearing mines from the strait and later told reporters that “they probably have a couple of mines in the water” and that “we have minesweepers out there. We’re sweeping the strait.” He also asserted that all of Iran’s mine-laying ships have been destroyed.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards issued a statement warning they would deal “severely” with any military vessels transiting the strait, saying the IRGC Navy has full authority to manage the Strait of Hormuz and that passage would only be granted to civilian vessels under specific conditions, according to Agence France-Presse.
Vice President JD Vance traveled to Islamabad for trilateral talks with Iran and Pakistan. After what he described as a 21-hour negotiation session, Vance said early Sunday that the U.S. had not reached a deal and that Iran had “chosen not to accept our terms.” He departed Islamabad shortly after the news conference. Saturday’s meetings marked the first face-to-face talks between U.S. and Iranian officials since the 1979 Islamic Revolution; prior high-level contact included a 2013 phone call from then-President Barack Obama to then-Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.
U.S. officials previously told CBS News that at least a dozen underwater mines had been placed in the waterway, based on American intelligence assessments. The devices reportedly include the Maham 3, a moored sensor-activated mine, and the Maham 7, a “sticking mine” that rests on the seabed until a target comes within range—both manufactured in Iran. Drones and missiles have also been used to stop ships from passing through the Strait.
About 20% of the world’s oil supply is shipped through the strait. During six weeks of war, passage of oil tankers and other commercial ships was largely halted. Some maritime traffic has returned since a two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran, but levels remain low, according to marine transit data reviewed by CBS News.
Analysts warn global oil supplies may remain disrupted for months even if the ceasefire holds. Henning Gloystein, managing director of energy, industry and resources at Eurasia Group, said it will take time to repair damaged refineries and other infrastructure, and that shipping companies will need at least two months to resume regular tanker operations.