U.S. warships cross Strait of Hormuz for first time since Iran war began

• The operation was aimed at increasing confidence for commercial ships to cross, sources say. It came as peace talks between the two sides kicked off in Pakistan.
• "This was an operation that focused on freedom of navigation through International waters," the U.S. official said.

Driving the news: 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, per state media reports.
• A U.S. official says the U.S. received no such warning.

The big picture: The reopening of the strait was a key provision in the U.S.-Iran ceasefire deal.

• The narrow waterway off Iran's southern coast is vital to the normal functioning of the global economy.
• For several days after the ceasefire was announced very few ships crossed. There were reports Saturday morning that at least three oil-carrying supertankers crossed — a tentative sign of movement, though a tiny fraction of normal.
• A U.S. official admitted earlier this week that ships were not moving through because they were intimidated by the Iranians.

What they're saying: President 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.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional details on the crossing.