Two U.S. Navy destroyers transited the Strait of Hormuz and entered the Persian Gulf after navigating an Iranian barrage, according to defense officials.

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.

The U.S. Navy’s blockade continued to intercept ships trying to leave or enter Iranian ports, while fear of Iranian attacks kept other ships from attempting passage through the narrows.

Two U.S. Navy destroyers had transited the Strait of Hormuz to begin mine-clearing operations in the vital waterway, U.S. Central Command said Saturday. The destroyers crossed through the Strait and operated in the Arabian Gulf, CENTCOM said on social media.

Maritime tracking data from Kpler indicates that several ships continued to pass through the Strait of Hormuz despite a US-declared blockade on Iranian ports, while the US military claims its enforcement remains intact amid rising tensions in the region.

Iran said Monday it had fired upon an American naval vessel on the first day of a bid by Washington to force open the Strait of Hormuz to global shipping. The semiofficial Fars News Agency, which has close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC),

US crude oil prices fell further after President Donald Trump signalled a possible deal to end the Iran war. Brent dropped more than 6% to about $103 a barrel, while US crude slid nearly 7% to around $95,