US Central Command: Hormuz Strait is international waterway, IRGC has no authority over navigation

US Central Command has affirmed that the Strait of Hormuz is an international waterway and that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has no authority to impose specific navigation routes within it.

In a statement on X, Central Command added that commercial vessels continue to transit the Strait of Hormuz with support from US military forces.

The statement noted that US Central Command forces have helped nearly 1,000 ships and shipments totaling 500 million barrels of crude oil to pass through this narrow waterway.

Central Command also highlighted the capabilities of a US Air Force F-16 fighter jet conducting patrols over the Middle East, noting its versatility in air combat, air-to-ground attacks, tactical reconnaissance, and close air support missions.