U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) rejected claims by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) regarding the routing of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, emphasizing that the waterway is an international transit passage and that the IRGC has no authority to dictate ship navigation. CENTCOM also announced that, since early May, it has assisted in the passage of nearly 1,000 ships and the transit of 500 million barrels of crude oil through the strait.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday, CENTCOM noted that, after recently threatening and attempting to attack commercial vessels and civilian mariners in the Strait of Hormuz, the IRGC continued to claim that international ships must exclusively use routes designated by its forces.
Rejecting this claim, CENTCOM stated that the Strait of Hormuz is an international waterway and that the IRGC has no right or authority to dictate the free and safe navigation of vessels.
CENTCOM further emphasized that commercial shipping continues to pass through the Strait of Hormuz under the protection of U.S. military forces. The command stated that, since early May, its forces have facilitated the transit of approximately 1,000 ships carrying nearly 500 million barrels of crude oil through this strategic maritime choke point.
