President Donald Trump announced that the United States has begun clearing out the Strait of Hormuz as a "proper to countries all over the world," in a post on Truth Social. The announcement came as the first direct peace talks between Iran and the U.S. began in Pakistan. The United States and Iran are currently negotiating to end the war, which began with a surprise U-S.-Israeli attack on Feb. 28 and is now in its seventh week. The Strait has been a key strategic battleground in the Iran war, blocking vast amounts of oil from passing through the narrow maritime corridor, allowing Iran to impose financial costs on the US and its Gulf allies and the global market.