Trump Claims U.S. Has Started Clearing Strait of Hormuz as Iran Peace Talks Begin

(SeaPRwire) –   On Saturday, President Donald Trump stated that the United States had initiated the process of “clearing out” the Strait of Hormuz, coinciding with the start of the first direct peace talks between Iran and the U.S. in Pakistan. 

“We are now launching the process of clearing out the Strait of Hormuz as a goodwill gesture to nations across the globe, including China, Japan, South Korea, France, Germany, and many others,” Trump posted on Truth Social. 

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

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

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

Trump’s remarks came as the U.S. and Iran began negotiations in Islamabad, Pakistan, aimed at ending the war that started 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 headed by Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Pakistan is hosting and mediating the discussions. 

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

Ahead of the negotiations, Iran has called for the release of its assets frozen by the U.S. and additional compensation for war-related damages. In a 10-point proposal released before the talks, it sought the ability to retain control of the Strait of Hormuz—an area it has effectively blocked to tanker traffic since the war began. It also demanded the right to pursue uranium enrichment for peaceful purposes and an end to Israeli attacks on Lebanon. 

On Wednesday, one day after the U.S.-Iran ceasefire was announced, Israel killed more than 350 people in Lebanon. A third of those killed were women and children, per Lebanon’s health ministry.

The U.S., meanwhile, has called for the Strait to be reopened and sweeping restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange 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 large volumes of oil from the narrow maritime corridor has allowed Iran to impose financial costs on the U.S., its oil-producing Gulf allies, and the global market, giving it leverage in a war where it is militarily outgunned.

This is a developing story.