President Trump says US Navy will begin blockade of Strait of Hormuz

Two U.S. Navy destroyers transited the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday in what appears to be a first since the war began, according to U.S. Central Command.

CENTCOM confirmed President Donald Trump's announcement that the U.S. military had begun mine-clearing operations to ensure safe passage through the strait.

The USS Frank E. Peterson and USS Michael Murphy "conducted operations" 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," according to the statement. Additional U.S. forces -- including underwater drones -- will join mine-clearing operations "in the coming days," according to CENTCOM.

“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.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also confirmed the ships' movement in a post on X.

"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," Hegseth wrote.

Negotiators have moved beyond general discussions and entered a more detailed, technical phase of negotiations in the U.S., Iran and Pakistan trilateral face-to-face meeting Saturday, according to Iran’s semiofficial news agencies Fars and Tasnim.

While the negotiations were initially planned as a one-day meeting, there is a possibility they could be extended for an additional day to allow further technical discussions. However, no final decision has been confirmed, according to the Tasnim news agency.

Specialized teams have joined Iran’s main negotiating delegation in Islamabad, according to Fars. If progress is made, there is a possibility the Iranian delegation’s stay in Islamabad could be extended, according to Fars.

During the phone interview with NewsNation this morning, President Donald Trump was asked about his social media posts in which he claimed that empty oil tankers will be coming to the United States to be filled with oil.

Trump sidestepped the question, instead repeating that “many of them” are on their way to the U.S. to “load up” with oil.

“Just take a look out at the great seas of our world, they're all, many of them are heading to the United States to load up with oil. We have plenty of it,” Trump reportedly said.

The NewsNation reporter pressed him, asking: “So is this because you're saying that Iran isn't opening up the Strait of Hormuz?”

The president pushed back, insisting that the strait will be open in the “not-too-distant future.”

“No, it's not because they are going to be open in the not-too-distant future. Iran's a failing nation. A very failing nation … And it's gonna be opened up. But I think people are seeing that there are other alternatives to going through the Strait.”

In another social media post this morning, Trump repeated his belief that the strait will be open “soon.”

“The Strait of Hormuz will soon be open, and the empty ships are rushing to the United States to ‘load up,’” Trump wrote.

-ABC News’ Emily Chang

A senior White House official confirms that the United States, Pakistan and Iran are holding a trilateral face-to-face meeting Saturday, per the press pool traveling with the vice president.

The "core" U.S. delegation includes Vice President JD Vance, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Dr. Andrew Baker, deputy national security adviser to the president and national security adviser to the vice president, and Michael Vance, special advisor to the vice president for Asian affairs, will also be in attendance as the broader U.S. delegation, according to a U.S. official.

"A full suite of U.S. experts on relevant subject areas are present in Islamabad. Additional experts are supporting from Washington," the U.S. official said, per the pool.

-ABC News’ Emily Chang