U.S. officials told Axios they have seen no evidence of an operational Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, contradicting the IRGC's formal closure declaration. Vice President Vance called the strait 'really open,' while President Trump ruled out any tolls for the next 60 days.
The IRGC's Saturday declaration that the Strait of Hormuz is closed to all vessels prompted swift pushback from Washington. Axios, citing U.S. defense officials, reported that the United States sees **no evidence** of any actual military activity on the ground that would amount to an operational blockade. Vice President J.D. Vance stated publicly that the straits are 'really open,' and noted that a record 16 million barrels of oil allegedly transited the waterway yesterday.
President Trump weighed in with a statement on his social platform, declaring that there will be **no tolls in the Strait of Hormuz for 60 days** during the current ceasefire period, and rejecting the imposition of any future tolls unless authorized by the United States. This comes as the IRGC's statement explicitly linked the closure to U.S. 'violations' of the ceasefire in Lebanon and the continued Israeli presence in southern Lebanon.
The gap between the Iranian declaration and the U.S. assessment is wide. Multiple U.S. officials also pointed out that Iran does not unilaterally control the strait — a strategic waterway through which roughly a fifth of the world's oil passes. The facts on the water, rather than the formal announcements, will determine the real situation in the coming hours.
As The Zioneer reported in an earlier dispatch (Saturday 17:53 Jerusalem), the IRGC's declaration followed an escalating series of threats linking the Hormuz closure to the Lebanon front. The U.S. rebuttal now establishes a direct state-to-state dispute over the status of the transit corridor.
4 developments
- StrongIranian Foreign Ministry spokesman: toll collection in Strait of Hormuz continues, contradicting Trump
- DevelopingIranian Negotiating Team Member Warns: 'You Will Pay at Hormuz — That Is Final'
- ConfirmedTrump: Strait of Hormuz transit still requires Iranian coordination
- DevelopingBarak Betesh (i24NEWS) scrutinizes Trump’s claim on toll-free Hormuz, noting Iran switched to insurance fee instead
Source and signal
- Internal intake