US Naval Ships Transit Strait of Hormuz for Mine-Clearing Operations

US and Iranian Delegations Engage in Ongoing Negotiations in Islamabad

Negotiations between US and Iranian delegations are ongoing in Islamabad, with control of the Strait of Hormuz remaining a key point of contention. According to CENTCOM, two US ships, the USS Frank E Peterson and USS Michael Murphy, recently transited the Strait of Hormuz. However, this claim has been swiftly denied by Iran.

The US military command stated that the ships’ presence in the strait was part of a broader mission to clear sea mines laid by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). Admiral Brad Cooper hailed the ships’ passage as a turning point in the US-Israeli war against Iran, which began on February 28.

Iran has denied the claim, stating that the initiative for vessel movement is in their hands. Maria Sultan, director general of the South Asian Strategic Stability Institute, noted that if the US ships had moved freely through the strait, it would have required Tehran’s permission.

The negotiations come as part of a historic face-to-face meeting between the US and Iranian delegations, led by Vice President JD Vance and Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. The talks represent the highest-level meetings since the Islamic revolution in 1979.

Both sides have offered diverging accounts of the conditions for the negotiations, including the future of Iran’s nuclear program, the release of frozen Iranian assets, and the status of Israel’s invasion of Lebanon. Reporting from Tehran, Al Jazeera correspondent Ali Hashem noted that Iranian officials appear to believe an agreement had been reached for Israel to stop bombing Beirut and its suburbs.

However, such an agreement has not been officially announced. The negotiations have also highlighted disagreements over future control of the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran arguing it must remain closed until certain conditions are met.

Source: Al Jazeera