DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The U.S. military said Monday that two American-flagged merchant ships had successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz and that Navy guided-missile destroyers in the Persian Gulf were helping to restore shipping traffic. It separately denied Iran’s claims to have struck an American Navy vessel. The announcement came a day after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a new initiative to help guide ships through the critical waterway for global energy. Iran has effectively closed the strait since the U.S. and Israel started the war on Feb. 28, rattling the global economy. The U.S.-led Joint Maritime Information Center has advised ships to cross the strait in Oman’s waters, saying it set up an “enhanced security area.” U.S. Central Command did not say when the Navy ships arrived or when the merchant vessels departed.…