Trump Says U.S. Has Begun ‘Clearing Out’ Strait of Hormuz As Iran Peace Talks Begin

President Donald Trump said Saturday that the United States had started “clearing out” the Strait of Hormuz, just as the first direct peace talks between Iran and the U.S. began in Pakistan. 

“We’re now starting the process of clearing out the Strait of Hormuz as a favor to Countries all over the World, including China, Japan, South Korea, France, Germany, and many others,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. 

In the same post, he said that Iran was “losing big” and repeated a phrase that appeared to mock Islam.    

“[T]heir longtime ‘Leaders’ are no longer with us, praise be to Allah! The only thing they have going is the threat that a ship may ‘bunk’ into one of their sea mines which, by the way, all 28 of their mine dropper boats are also lying at the bottom of the sea,” he wrote. 

Read more: What Is the Strait of Hormuz and Why Is It at the Center of the Iran War?

Maritime tracking data showed at least one U.S. warship, the USS Michael Murphy, transiting through the Strait on Saturday. A senior Iranian military official claimed the vessel turned back after receiving a warning that it would be attacked if it continued through the Strait, according to Iranian state television. A U.S. official denied that claim, according to Axios, which also reported that “several” U.S. ships had passed through the Strait.  

Trump’s comments came as the U.S. and Iran began negotiations in Islamabad, Pakistan, aimed at ending the war that began with a surprise U.S.-Israeli attack involving hundreds of strikes on Feb. 28, and is now in its seventh week. 

Vice President J.D. Vance is leading the U.S. delegation to the talks, which also includes special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. The Iranian delegation is led by Iran’s Parliament Speaker, Mohammad Qalibaf, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Pakistan is hosting and mediating the talks. 

Iran and the U.S. agreed to a two-week ceasefire on Tuesday to allow the talks to proceed.

Iran has called for the release of Iranian assets frozen by the U.S. and additional compensation for the damages caused by the war ahead of negotiations. In a 10-point proposal released ahead of the talks, it called for the ability to retain control of the Strait of Hormuz, which it has effectively blocked to tanker traffic since the beginning of the war. It has also called for the right to pursue enrichment of uranium for peaceful purposes and an end to Israeli attacks on Lebanon. 

Israel killed more than 350 people in Lebanon on Wednesday, a day after the U.S.-Iran ceasefire was announced. A third of those killed were women and children, according to Lebanon's health ministry.

The U.S., meanwhile, has called for the reopening of the Strait and sweeping restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program in return for ending the war. 

The Strait of Hormuz— through which a fifth of the world’s maritime oil tankers pass— has become a key strategic battleground in the Iran war. Blocking vast amounts of oil from passing through the narrow maritime corridor has allowed Iran to impose a financial cost on the U.S. and its oil-producing Gulf allies, and the global market, giving it leverage in a war in which it has been outgunned militarily.

This is a developing story.