Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday insisted that Iran is not in control of the Strait of Hormuz even though Tehran continues to wreak havoc on the global economy by taking advantage of its geography to disrupt shipping through the key waterway.
During a press briefing at the Pentagon, Hegseth called Iran’s stronghold on the strait “a form of international extortion” that is “unacceptable,” touting U.S. efforts to force it open under a new initiative dubbed “Project Freedom.” Under the plan, the U.S. is providing commercial ships with information to allow them to transit the passage safely, while also continuing its blockade of Iranian ports.
“Two U.S. commercial ships, along with American destroyers, have already safely transited the strait, showing the lane is clear. We know the Iranians are embarrassed by this fact. They said they control the strait. They do not,” Hegseth said.
“And right now, hundreds more ships from nations around the world are lining up to transit,” he continued.
Despite Hegseth’s claims, traffic in the strait is just a tiny fraction of what it used to be before the war broke out.
