The United States military has rejected Iran’s claim that it has closed the Strait of Hormuz, insisting that maritime traffic is continuing through the strategic waterway.
“Iran does not control the strait. Traffic is flowing,” the US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees American military operations in the Middle East, said in a post on X on Sunday.
In a subsequent statement, CENTCOM directly responded to a claim by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that the key route for global oil shipments had been shut.
The US military maintained that the Strait of Hormuz “remains an international waterway” and said American forces were deployed and prepared to ensure it remains accessible.
The development comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, with Iran announcing the closure of the strait while launching attacks on US-aligned Gulf countries in response to recent American strikes on Iranian targets.
The escalation has further threatened a fragile agreement intended to pause the conflict as negotiators continue efforts toward reaching a broader deal to end the war.
