'Iran Doesn't Control Strait': US Claims Hormuz Remains Open As Tehran Restricts Maritime Movement

A dayafter Iran announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the United States on Sunday claimed that the narrow waterway was open for marine traffic.

In a post on X, the United States Central Command said that the shipping route was open to all vessels seeking a lawful transit as American forces remain present in the region.

"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," US CENTCOM tweeted.

"Iran does not control the strait. Traffic is flowing," it added. CENTCOM added that in the past seven days, over 140 ships have transited the strait. Additionally, the US forces have facilitated the transit of over 800 ships and over 400 million barrels of crude oil in the last two months.

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The statement comes as Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority has reacted to the presence of US forces in the region, calling their movement "illegal".

In a post on X, PGSA blamed the US forces' movement as the reason behind the closure. The post read, "Due to the recent illegal movements of the United States military forces in the region, passage through the Strait of Hormuz is currently not possible. As soon as stability and calm are restored, all requests will be reviewed based on the schedule, and the necessary permits will be issued."

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Tehran announced the closure on Saturday after fresh exchange of strikes between Iran and the US bases in the West Asia has escalating tensions in the region. 

The Hormuz was closed after an incident involving a vessel. Iranian military fired warning shots at a vessel using the Oman corridor, formed by Oman and UN and protected by US forces, on Saturday. The shots struck the vessel, prompting a third round of strikes against Iran.

Explosions were heard in Bandar Abbas and Sirik. The fresh escalated made jeopardised the already tense ceasefire between the two countries, pushing Tehran to announce closure.