Despite Tehran announcing the closure of the Strait of Hormuz amid renewed tensions with Washington, the US Central Command on Sunday claimed that the critical waterway remained open for traffic.
In a post on X, the US Central Command said the oil-shipping route is open to all “vessels seeking to lawfully transit the international waterway," citing the presence of American forces in the region.
US Reaffirms Commitment To Safe Navigation Through Hormuz
Slamming the Islamic Republic over its “unwarranted aggression, harassment, threats, and arbitrary declarations," the CENTCOM said it was committed to ensuring that freedom of navigation remains available.
“The Strait of Hormuz is open to all vessels seeking to lawfully transit the international waterway. US forces are positioned and prepared to ensure that freedom of navigation remains available despite unwarranted Iranian aggression, harassment, threats, and arbitrary declarations," it tweeted.
It further declared that the waterway is not under the control of Iran. “Iran does not control the strait. Traffic is flowing," the post further read.
Over 140 Vessels Crossed Hormuz In 7 Days: US
The US command also said that more than 140 vessels have crossed the strait in the past seven days, while over 800 ships carrying more than 400 million barrels of crude oil have passed through the maritime route over the last two months, with the transit facilitated by US forces.
Iran Closes Hormuz Again
Earlier on Saturday, Tehran had announced the closure of the strait once again following an incident involving a commercial vessel, further escalating tensions in the region. Hours later, the US launched a fresh round of military strikes against Iran, raising fresh doubts over the fragile ceasefire agreement reached last month.
Iran had said it considered the strategic waterway closed after a vessel using what it described as an “unauthorised route" was struck by warning shots while passing through the strait. The escalation came despite ongoing diplomatic efforts to preserve the interim agreement that had ended weeks of hostilities.
Senior US officials had earlier said negotiations to strengthen last month’s ceasefire could not move forward unless the Strait of Hormuz remained secure. They had also expected Iran to publicly reaffirm that ships would be allowed to pass safely through the waterway.
