The United States has launched a naval operation to open a new safe route in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most sensitive maritime passages on the planet.
On April 11, 2026, CENTCOM announced that the destroyers USS Frank E. Peterson and USS Michael Murphy transited the strait and began operating in the Arabian Gulf as part of a mission to prepare for mine clearance in the area, which the U.S. command attributed to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.
According to Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, American forces have started the process of establishing a new safe passage, which is expected to be shared soon with the maritime industry to help restore the flow of commerce in the region. CENTCOM itself described the Strait of Hormuz as an essential corridor for regional and global economic prosperity.
The clearance effort is expected to be reinforced in the coming days with the arrival of additional assets, including underwater drones, expanding the capability to locate and neutralize threats at sea. The movement comes at a time of heightened tension in the Middle East and places maritime security back at the center of the strategic dispute involving Washington and Tehran.
The transit of the two ships marks the beginning of a broader operation aimed at making the Gulf’s main maritime route safe again, a passage vital to global energy transportation. The episode also underscores the geopolitical weight of the strait, which remains under international scrutiny for its direct impact on trade, oil, and regional stability.
Source: U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and Reuters. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
