U.S. Central Command says the United States, rather than Iran, controls the Strait of Hormuz and that nearly 1,500 commercial vessels have moved through under U.S. protection. The account makes broad claims about military control, shipping and oil flows, but the material provided does not include independent records to verify them.
The claims in the account
CENTCOM presents the following points as evidence of U.S. control of the strait:
Iranian mines have been cleared from the strait’s international shipping lanes.
Nearly 1,500 commercial vessels have moved through under U.S. protection, carrying 750 million barrels of crude.
Iran has exported zero oil from its shores since the blockade resumed in July.
75 vessels that tried to break the blockade were turned around.
Gulf oil exports have recovered to two-thirds of pre-operation levels and continue to rise.
The source frames the blockade as economic pressure on Iran, saying U.S. forces are keeping energy moving to the world while denying Tehran the revenue it needs to threaten global commerce. It also quotes former Deputy National Security Advisor Victoria Coates as saying Iran is losing an additional $13 billion a month and has been cut off from critical imports.
The account quotes John Spencer, identified as West Point Chair of Urban Warfare Studies, supporting the blockade’s effectiveness and rejecting Iran’s claims about the strait.
Despite all the rhetoric coming out of Tehran, the reality is clear: the U.S. blockade of Iran is effective. Iran’s claims that it has closed the Strait of Hormuz are false. It has neither closed the strait nor effectively stopped maritime traffic.
The document also lists remarks by President Trump from Aug. 10 through Aug. 27 making similar assertions. On Aug. 10, he said:
The only one that has control of the Strait of Hormuz right now is the United States Navy. We have a blockade that’s been infallible. It’s a steel wall… We control the Strait, 100%.
What the source does not establish
The supplied material does not include vessel-tracking data, maritime databases, official mine-clearance records, a record of the 75 turned-back vessels or an independent assessment of the 750 million-barrel figure. The claims can therefore be reported here as statements from CENTCOM and its quoted supporters, not as independently established facts.
