US says Strait of Hormuz remains open amid Iranian blockade and ship attacks

The US military says commercial shipping is still moving through the Strait of Hormuz despite an ongoing blockade and attacks on vessels by Iran's military. A spokesperson for US Central Command said traffic through the waterway "continues to flow" and rejected the suggestion that Iran controls the strait. The comments came as tensions remained high over one of the world's most important energy chokepoints.

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US Navy Captain Tim Hawkins said US forces had helped commercial vessels move more than 900 million barrels of crude oil through the strait to the global energy market since early May. He said the military had also redirected more than 100 ships that were trying to violate the blockade. Hawkins described the US role as running two parallel missions: keeping commercial traffic moving while enforcing what he called a highly effective blockade.

Hawkins said US forces had completed clearing mines from internationally recognised primary shipping lanes in the strait several weeks ago. He said the lanes remained under close watch and that US forces were staying present to keep them clear. The remarks were made against the backdrop of continued competing claims by the US and Iran over who has greater control of the waterway.

The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow passage linking the Gulf to the wider world economy, and it is central to global oil shipments. Any disruption there can quickly affect energy markets and shipping routes far beyond the region. The US statement is therefore significant not only as a military claim, but also as an assertion that commercial flows are still being protected despite the blockade.

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The comments also followed questions about civilian harm and damage to civilian infrastructure in Iran. Hawkins said the US military strictly follows the laws of armed conflict and said its targets had been military sites, including facilities belonging to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. He was responding after local sources and authorities said a wedding ceremony in Kuhestak, in southern Iran's Hormozgan province near the strait, was struck in earlier attacks, leaving several people dead and dozens wounded.

What remains unclear is how long the current balance can hold if attacks continue and competing claims over the strait intensify. The US says the lanes are open and commercial vessels are still passing through, but it has not resolved the wider dispute over control of the waterway. The next developments to watch are whether the blockade is tightened, whether more ships are redirected, and whether the reported attacks on civilian areas lead to further escalation.

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