A commercial vessel caught fire Wednesday after being struck by a projectile while traveling through one of the world’s most

US Navy destroyers began clearing a “new passage” through the Strait of Hormuz Saturday –marking the first time American ships crossed the channel since the start of the war. The USS Frank E. Peterson and USS Michael Murphy set off on the mission to establish an open route so that minesweepers could later clear sea mines laid by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps,

A Thai-flagged cargo vessel was struck in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday shortly after departing from the United Arab Emirates, as regional tensions continue to disrupt one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes.

Two Navy guided-missile destroyers entered the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, the first American warships to transit the strait since the U.S.-Israel offensive in Iran began on Feb. 28. USS Frank E. Peterson (DDG-121) and USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112) are now in the Persian Gulf after transiting the strait as part of the U.

The purported attacks come amid Iran’s threats to target ships in the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation against the U.S.-Israeli strikes on its territory.

Attacks on ships are escalating in the Arabian Gulf as Israel and Iran both launched fresh waves of intense strikes overnight.

Cargo vessels and tanker transits through the Strait of Hormuz saw a minimal rise last week, despite Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s denial the waterway is facing a blockage. Shipping analysis Lloyd’s List reported Monday that recent transits still represent less than 10 percent of the average traffic.

A fragile ceasefire that’s mostly quieted the skies over the Middle East isn’t giving shippers the nerve to brave the narrow waterway that holds the key to 20% of the world’s oil supply.

The destroyers were beginning mine-clearing operations in the vital waterway, U.S. Central Command said Saturday.