The US military said on Saturday that two of its warships had passed through the Strait of Hormuz and conditions were being set to clear mines, while Iran's state media denied any US ships ​had transited the waterway.

The operation was part of a broader mission "to ensure the strait is fully clear of sea mines previously laid by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps," CENTCOM said.

Additional US forces, including underwater drones, will join the clearance effort in the coming days, CENTCOM said.

"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, in the statement.

The move, which was not coordinated with Iran, was the first time US warships crossed the strait since the beginning of the war, an Axios report said.

"This was an operation that focused on freedom of navigation through International waters," a US official said.

The official said the Navy ships crossed the strait from east to west to the Gulf, and then made their way back through the strait to the Arabian Sea.

The Iranian government reportedly called the crossing a ceasefire violation and threatened to attack the ships, media reports said.

A US official says the US received no such warning.

US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social on Saturday that the threat that a ship may "bunk" into sea mines was the only thing Iran had to intimidate them from crossing the strait.

'We're now starting the process of clearing out the Strait of Hormuz as a favor to Countries all over the World, including China, Japan, South Korea, France, Germany, and many others," he wrote.

The critical oil thoroughfare traffics approximately 20% of the world’s total oil supply. Reopening the strait was a key provision in the ceasefire agreement, though few ships have traversed the waterway since it went into effect days ago.