ToplineTwo U.S.-flagged merchant ships safely traveled through the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Central Command claimed in a statement on Monday morning, adding that two American missile destroyers are now operating in the Arabian Gulf—less than one day after President Donald Trump announced a plan to “guide” stranded vessels from the waterway.Trump previously announced a plan to help “guide” ships out of the waterway, which was previously shut down by Iran.Getty ImagesKey FactsU.S. Central Command did not offer any further details about the merchant vessels, including the names of the ships or when exactly they traveled through the waterway.Iran previously threatened to attack any U.S. forces that traveled through the Strait of Hormuz and claimed it fired at a U.S. warship—but the U.S. military quickly denied any of their ships had been struck on Monday morning.Despite the promises from the U.S., ships were not seen lining up to transit the Strait on Monday, Reuters reported, noting that only a handful of vessels crossed the waterway.TangentEarlier Monday, the United Arab Emirates said Iran targeted an oil tanker belonging to ADNOC, the Gulf monarchy’s state-owned oil company, as it traveled through the Strait of Hormuz. In a statement, the UAE’s foreign ministry said the tanker was attacked by two drones, during its transit through the strait, but no crew members were injured. The ship was an empty crude oil tanker, Reuters reported, citing ADNOC’s maritime logistics division.Key BackgroundThe Strait of Hormuz is a critical waterway for international shipping, and saw an estimated 20% to 25% of the world’s oil shipped by sea in 2025, according to the International Energy Agency. Iran shut down the Strait shortly after the U.S. and Israel began a campaign of air strikes against the country on Feb. 28, and travel through the waterway remains halted despite a tense ceasefire between the two sides. On Sunday, Trump announced “Project Freedom,” what the president called a “process” to aid ships and crews stranded in the Middle East and “guide” them out of “restricted waterways.” U.S. Central Command said its forces would “support merchant vessels” trying to travel through the Strait of Hormuz. The military said this effort would be supported by guided missile destroyers, aircraft, unmanned platforms and 15,000 service members.