Iran latest: Trump says US hunting for mines in Strait of Hormuz

In the latest push to get the Strait of Hormuz reopened, President Donald Trump said this weekend that the U.S. Navy is clearing Iranian mines from the channel. 

The vital sea route for Persian Gulf oil is closed to most ships, and that's a strain on the global economy.

Here is the latest from the region on Saturday, April 25: 

US Navy clearing mines

FILE - USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) conducts U.S. blockade operations related to the Strait of Hormuz on April 16, 2026 in the Arabian Sea. (Handout Photo by the U.S. Navy via Getty Images)

8:20 a.m. ET: President Trump said the U.S. Navy is working to clear mines in the Strait of Hormuz, a tactic that is in efforts to get traffic moving again through the strait. 

The backstory:

It is unclear whether a single mine has been deployed. Iran has mentioned only the "likelihood" of mines in the strait’s prewar routes.

Timeline:

When asked about the estimate, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters Friday that the military would not speculate on a timeline, but he did not deny that it would likely take six months to clear the mines. 

Weekend ceasefire talks

Meanwhile:

Trump is sending envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Pakistan for a second round of ceasefire negotiations with Iran, the White House said Friday. It was unclear, though, when they were due in Islamabad. 

Vice President JD Vance will not attend the talks. 

On Saturday, top officials from Pakistan and Iran were also said to have met.