US Central Command denies Iranian control of Strait of Hormuz, says waterway remains open

US Central Command has denied Iranian claims of control over the Strait of Hormuz, stressing that the international waterway remains open to maritime traffic and that commercial vessels continue to transit the strait with US military support.

In a statement on X, CENTCOM dismissed remarks by a Revolutionary Guard commander about controlling the strait’s entrances and exits, and suggestions that sailors must follow routes set by the Guard, calling these "false claims." The command emphasized that Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz and that the international waterway remains open despite threats and attacks by the Revolutionary Guard.

CENTCOM explained that commercial ships have continued to pass through the Strait of Hormuz under US military protection since early May, noting that thousands of vessels have transited the strait, including more than a billion barrels of oil in recent months. The command confirmed that navigation through the strait is ongoing.

Meanwhile, Iranian Army Deputy Coordinator Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said that the western part of the Strait of Hormuz, the strait itself, and the Gulf are under the full control of the Revolutionary Guard Navy, while the Army’s naval forces fully control the eastern part of the strait and the northern Indian Ocean.

Sayyari added that Iranian forces operate in the northern Arabian Sea and east of the strait, stating that no one is allowed to attempt passage without permission.