U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that the southern route of the Strait of Hormuz remains open to all commercial vessels, adding that American forces have assisted more than 1,000 ships in safely navigating the waterway over the past three months.
In a statement posted on Tuesday, August 4, on X (formerly Twitter), CENTCOM affirmed that the southern passage through the Strait of Hormuz is operational and accessible to all merchant vessels seeking to transit the international waterway.
The command noted that, despite what it described as “unprovoked and aggressive actions by Iran,” U.S. forces have aided more than 1,000 commercial ships in making safe passage over the past three months, with operations still ongoing.
The statement comes amid ongoing negotiations between the Islamic Republic and Oman to establish a new shipping corridor in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian officials have emphasized that these discussions are being conducted exclusively with Oman and do not involve direct negotiations with the United States.
Conversely, U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have indicated that Washington is actively engaged in consultations concerning maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz, with the primary objective of facilitating increased safe shipping traffic in the short term.
