Iran Threatens US Warships, Oil Transit Risk

Two US destroyers, USS Frank E. Peterson (DDG 121) and USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112), transited the Strait of Hormuz for the first time in six weeks without incident, according to The Wall Street Journal. Tehran subsequently warned Pakistani mediators that if the vessels continued, "it will be targeted within 30 minutes," as reported by Fars News Agency via Khabar Network.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Admiral Brad Cooper announced the start of mine-clearing operations in the Strait, previously laid by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, to establish a new safe passage for maritime commerce. This naval activity coincides with face-to-face negotiations between the US and Iran in Pakistan, mediated by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, aimed at solidifying a fragile two-week ceasefire.

President Donald Trump demands the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which handles 20 percent of the world's oil supplies and was effectively shut by Iran, as part of the ceasefire deal. Iran's delegation, led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, seeks an end to Israeli attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon, compensation, US military withdrawal, and sanctions lifted, while the US delegation includes Vice President JD Vance, Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner.