Washington: Two U.S. commercial ships have successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced Monday, as part of an operation to restore freedom of navigation through the crucial waterway.

According to Yonhap News Agency, CENTCOM made the announcement in a social media post following President Donald Trump's statement that "Middle East time," the U.S. would initiate "Project Freedom." This mission aims to "guide" ships stranded by the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran out of the effectively choked-off strait. CENTCOM highlighted that U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers are operating in the Arabian Gulf in support of this mission.

The post on X emphasized that American forces are actively assisting efforts to restore transit for commercial shipping. As an initial step, two U.S.-flagged merchant vessels have successfully navigated through the Strait of Hormuz and are continuing their journey safely.

Earlier, Iranian state media alleged that a U.S. warship was struck by missiles from Iran, a claim that CENTCOM promptly denied. In a separate X post, they clarified that no U.S. Navy ships had been hit and reiterated U.S. forces' commitment to supporting Project Freedom and enforcing the naval blockade on Iranian ports.

CENTCOM has outlined that U.S. military support for Project Freedom will include guided-missile destroyers, over 100 land and sea-based aircraft, multi-domain unmanned platforms, and 15,000 service members. On the first day of the operation, an explosion occurred on a Panama-flagged ship operated by a major South Korean shipping firm in the Strait of Hormuz, as reported by Seoul's foreign ministry. The vessel was carrying 24 crew members-six South Korean and 18 foreign nationals. Fortunately, no casualties were reported, and the cause of the explosion is currently under investigation.