US Central Command on Saturday said that two of its Navy guided-missile destroyers conducted operations in the Strait of Hormuz as US Vice President JD Vance and his team held talks with Iranian officials.In a statement posted on“US Central Command forces began setting conditions for clearing mines in the Strait of Hormuz on April 11, as two US Navy guided-missile destroyers conducted operations,” it said.“USS Frank E Peterson (DDG 121) and USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112) transited the Strait of Hormuz and operated in the Arabian Gulf as part of a broader mission to ensure the strait is fully clear of sea mines previously laid by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps,” it added.CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper said that the Navy has begun the process of “establishing a new passage,” which will be shared with the maritime industry soon.“Today, we began the process of establishing a new passage, and we will share this safe pathway with the maritime industry soon to encourage the free flow of commerce,” said Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM.The statement added that additional US forces, including underwater drones, will join the clearance effort in the coming days.This comes as, according to US officials, many of the mines laid by Iran cannot now be located. Some of these mines may have drifted due to sea currents, they added.Meanwhile, Iran refuted the US claim and said that it warned the military vessel that it would be attacked “within 30 minutes” if it crossed the Strait of Hormuz.It further said that the US vessel retreated after the warning was issued.The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has so far been the key leverage held by Tehran throughout the war started by the US and Israel, forcing a two-week truce last Wednesday.The warships crossed as US President Donald Trump said that “we are now starting the process of clearing out” the narrow sea passage in the Persian Gulf.Several US Navy ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, a US official told Axios, marking the first such transit since the start of the war with Iran. The passage was not coordinated with Tehran.Additionally, a Greek vessel transited the strait, followed hours later by two Chinese supertankers passing through the narrow chokepoint, even as peace talks between the US and Iran are underway in Pakistan, Bloomberg reported.The surge in tanker movement marked the biggest day of oil shipments through the strait since the conflict began.