The US military says commercial shipping continues through the strategic waterway, dismissing Iranian assertions that transit has been halted.
WASHINGTON, United States — WEB DESK: The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) has rejected Iranian claims that the Strait of Hormuz has been closed to commercial shipping, insisting that the vital waterway remains open and operational.
In a statement posted on social media platform X, CENTCOM said recent assertions by Iranian authorities that the Strait of Hormuz had been closed were “false.”
CENTCOM rejects Iranian claims
According to the US military, the Strait of Hormuz remains open to commercial vessel traffic and is not under Iran’s control.
CENTCOM added that thousands of commercial ships have transited the international waterway over the past four months, describing this as evidence that maritime traffic continues despite heightened regional tensions.
Iran’s Position
CENTCOM’s statement follows comments attributed to Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA), which reportedly said that commercial transit through the Strait of Hormuz was currently impossible because of ongoing US military activities in the region.
According to Iranian statements, requests for passage would only be considered after regional stability is restored, following what Tehran described as persistent US military actions.
Those remarks came after Iran claimed it had carried out retaliatory attacks against US military bases in the region.
Strategic importance
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints, handling a significant share of global oil and liquefied natural gas exports. Any disruption to shipping through the waterway can have major implications for international energy markets and global trade.
The conflicting statements from Washington and Tehran could not be independently verified, and commercial shipping conditions continue to be closely monitored by governments and maritime security agencies.
