Two U.S. Warships Sail Through Strait of Hormuz to Establish New Route for Merchant Ships, Clear Mines [???]
April 11th, 2026Via: USNI News:
Two Navy guided-missile destroyers entered the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, the first American warships to transit the strait since the U.S.-Israel offensive in Iran began on Feb. 28.
USS Frank E. Petersen (DDG-121) and USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112) operated in the Persian Gulf after transiting the strait as part of the U.S. plan to “ensure the strait is fully clear of sea mines,” according to a Saturday U.S. Central Command news release. Frank E. Petersen is part of the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, while Michael Murphy is an independently-deployed destroyer, according to USNI News’ Fleet and Marine Tracker. The pair of ships transited back through the strait to the Gulf of Oman, according to ship spotters.
Additional U.S. forces, to include underwater drones, according to the release.
The two ships transited the gulf to begin “setting conditions for clearing mines,” reads the release.
