US says two American merchant ships pass through Strait of Hormuz

Two American-flagged merchant ships made it through the Strait of Hormuz, the US military announced Monday, the first indication that the Trump administration was restoring the flow of shipping traffic in the crucial waterway.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the vessels were “safely headed on their journey” and called the successful transit “a first step” in “restor[ing] transit for commercial shipping.”

“US Navy guided-missile destroyers are currently operating in the Arabian Gulf after transiting the Strait of Hormuz in support of Project Freedom,” the Tampa, Fla.-based command added on X, using President Trump’s name for the initiative he announced Sunday evening.