Several US Navy ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, Axios reported, though the claim was disputed by a regional intelligence official and Iranian media, highlighting the fragile security situation even as the United States and Iran held ceasefire talks in Islamabad.
Axios, citing an unidentified US official, reported that the crossing was the first since the start of the conflict six weeks ago and was not coordinated with Iran. The ships reportedly crossed from east to west into the Gulf before returning to the Arabian Sea.
However, a regional intelligence official said two US Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyers attempted to transit the strait but were forced to turn back after threats from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which also launched a UAV toward the vessels.
The incident occurred around noon Dubai time as US and Iranian delegations were in Islamabad for negotiations, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The White House and Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Separately, Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported that Iranian forces monitored a US destroyer moving from Fujairah toward the Strait of Hormuz and conveyed a warning via Pakistani mediators. The vessel turned back after Tehran warned it would be targeted, the report said.
Earlier, The Wall Street Journal reported that two US Navy guided missile destroyers crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, the first such transit since the war began. Iran, however, denied that any American ship completed the crossing.
Iranian state television said its forces detected a US destroyer approaching from Fujairah and issued a 30-minute ultimatum through Pakistani mediators, warning the ship to turn back or face attack. Tehran claimed the vessel reversed course, while a senior Iranian military official later denied on state TV that any US ship crossed the strait at all, Reuters reported.
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A Pentagon official told Axios that the US received no warning and described the movement as an uncoordinated “freedom of navigation” mission.
Ceasefire under strain
The incident comes amid a fragile April 8 ceasefire brokered by Pakistan. The Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20 per cent of the world’s seaborne oil normally passes, remains effectively restricted, with Iran reportedly allowing passage only to approved vessels and charging tolls exceeding $1 million per ship, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Shipping activity remains far below normal levels. The Financial Times reported that only three supertankers crossed the strait on Saturday, compared with a pre-war daily average of about 135 vessels.
Pakistan is mediating between Washington and Tehran in Islamabad amid the two-week ceasefire, with hostilities now in their second month.
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Oil flows shift as Gulf supply tightens
The disruption has begun reshaping global oil flows. US President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that “massive numbers of completely empty oil tankers” were heading to the United States to load American crude.
US crude settled at $96.57 on Friday, trading at a premium to Brent crude at $95.20, reflecting rising demand for non Gulf oil.
Historic talks remain deadlocked
Meanwhile, the Islamabad talks, the highest-level direct engagement between Washington and Tehran since 1979, remained deadlocked.
US Vice President JD Vance led the American delegation alongside Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, while Iran’s 70-member team was headed by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, according to Al Jazeera.
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The negotiations remain stalled over Iran’s sovereignty claims over the Strait of Hormuz, Lebanon, frozen Iranian assets, and uranium enrichment, CBS News reported. No agreement had been reached by Saturday evening.
The ceasefire is set to expire on April 22, raising concerns that tensions could escalate again if talks fail.
