U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) declared that the Strait of Hormuz remains open for transit for vessels not bypassing the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports. CENTCOM stated that safe pathways have been established and hundreds of ships have transited, according to a single channel report.
U.S. Central Command has claimed that hundreds of ships have transited the Strait of Hormuz via newly established safe pathways, a detail added to its insistence that the waterway remains open. The statement, issued at 19:30 Jerusalem, comes hours after the Iranian Strait of Hormuz Authority formally declared the closure in effect at 13:15 Jerusalem — a move Washington has consistently rejected.
This is the latest in a rapid sequence of conflicting declarations. At 01:44 Jerusalem, Iran's IRGC first declared the strait closed, with subsequent versions from the Khatam al-Anbiya command, the IRGC Navy, and finally the state authority, each broadening the ban and warning vessels would be attacked. The Zioneer reported each escalation: the initial IRGC closure, the warning that approaching vessels would be treated as enemy, a full closure to all traffic, and the formal state authority order. Throughout, CENTCOM has maintained the strait is open, first dismissing the IRGC claim as a bluff, then asserting vessels continue transiting, and now adding unverified transit figures.
The U.S. position has been consistent: as The Zioneer reported earlier at 19:08 Jerusalem, CENTCOM already stated the waterway was open. A separate background item published at 05:21 Jerusalem cited CENTCOM saying commercial shipping continued overnight. Earlier this week, Defense Secretary Hegseth stated the transit project "never stopped" but went subsurface, as The Zioneer reported on June 10.
The transit figure of "hundreds" of ships comes from a single unnamed source cited by CENTCOM; no independent confirmation of the number or the vessels' safety has been provided. Iran's formal closure order remains in effect on paper, and it is unclear whether any commercial vessels are currently attempting or completing transit against Tehran's warnings.
19 developments
- StrongIranian outlets claim Strait of Hormuz remains closed, contradicting US denials
- StrongCENTCOM: Commercial shipping continues transiting the Strait of Hormuz overnight
- DevelopingAnother ship receives US approval to cross Strait of Hormuz
- DevelopingUS military denies Iranian claims of control over Strait of Hormuz, says shipping lane open
Source and signal
- Open-source intake