Conflicting accounts have emerged over whether Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz following strikes on June 28, with Iran’s military asserting the closure and the United States military disputing the claim.
Iran’s joint military command said the strategically vital strait had been closed, but the US military denied this, stating that Iran does not control the waterway and that traffic continues. The competing claims left the actual status of the strait in dispute.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important shipping chokepoints, with a significant share of global oil and gas exports passing through it. Any disruption to traffic in the strait carries major implications for global energy markets and international shipping.
Iran has periodically threatened to close or disrupt the strait amid tensions with the United States and its allies, though the waterway is an international passage that no single country fully controls. The US has consistently maintained the importance of keeping it open to navigation.
Assessing the competing claims involves monitoring actual shipping traffic, satellite data and statements from maritime authorities and shipping operators. The US assertion that traffic continues suggested that the strait remained operational despite Iran’s announcement.
The dispute underscored the high stakes surrounding the strait amid the broader US-Iran confrontation, with the question of whether it was truly closed carrying significant economic and strategic weight for the region and the world.
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Sources:
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/u-s-and-iran-to-talk-sunday-in-switzerland-as-tehran-says-it-closed-strait-of-hormuz-again