The U.S. has signaled optimism about the prospect of reaching a diplomatic end to the Iran war.

Two US Navy destroyers transited the Strait of Hormuz Saturday, laying the ground for the start of a mine clearing operation, US Central Command said.

Meanwhile, CENTCOM says the blockade is working as communications between Washington and Tehran continue in hopes of more in-person talks.

Two Navy guided-missile destroyers entered the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, the first American warships to transit the strait since the U.S.-Israel offensive in Iran began on Feb. 28. USS Frank E. Peterson (DDG-121) and USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112) are now in the Persian Gulf after transiting the strait as part of the U.

A Navy destroyer turned back an Iran-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman, one of 10 vessels intercepted since the U.S. began its blockade, CENTCOM said.

The U.S. military on Tuesday insisted “no ships made it past” the American blockade in the Strait of Hormuz in the first 24 hours of the effort, even as a U.S.-sanctioned Chinese tanker traveled through the shipping lane to the Gulf of Oman.

The Navy welcomed its newest destroyer USS Harvey C. Barnum Jr. (DDG-124) into the fleet Saturday during a ceremony in Norfolk, Va., which is among the last Flight IIA configurations of the Arleigh Burke-class.

US Navy destroyers began clearing a “new passage” through the Strait of Hormuz Saturday –marking the first time American ships crossed the channel since the start of the war. The USS Frank E. Peterson and USS Michael Murphy set off on the mission to establish an open route so that minesweepers could later clear sea mines laid by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps,

The US blockade of Iran's coast has entered its fourth day, with the tentative ceasefire holding for now

U.S. warships are forcing vessels to reverse course without firing a shot, as officials warn the standoff could quickly escalate into strikes targeting Iran’s energy sector.