US military claims Strait of Hormuz remains open amid ongoing blockade

What the report says

The US military says it has kept the Strait of Hormuz open to commercial shipping despite an ongoing blockade and continuing tensions with Iran over control of the vital Gulf waterway, Al Jazeera reported. US Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins, a US Central Command spokesperson, said on Wednesday that traffic through the strait continues to move and rejected the idea that Iran controls the passage.

According to the report, Hawkins said US forces have helped commercial vessels move more than 900 million barrels of crude oil through the strait since early May, while also redirecting more than 100 ships that were said to be trying to break the blockade. He added that mines in the internationally recognized primary shipping lanes had been cleared several weeks earlier, and that the lanes remain open for commercial traffic.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints, so any disruption can affect global oil supplies and maritime trade. Al Jazeera also reported that the exchange comes amid broader conflict over shipping in the region and questions about the impact of military operations on civilians. Hawkins said US targets were military sites and denied that civilians had been deliberately targeted, while Iran has previously accused the US of attacks that hit civilian areas, including in southern Iran earlier this month.