No vessel had crossed the blockade without US authorization, CENTCOM added, noting that “American service members remain laser-focused on this mission,” Shafaq news reported.
***
Commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz fell sharply this week, with seven vessels recorded transiting the maritime gateway on Thursday, down from 11 the previous day and below the 10-day average of 15, according to preliminary data from ship-tracking firm Kpler.
Hormuz, through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil passes, has remained largely closed under Iranian restrictions since Feb. 28, following the joint US-Israel war on Iran. The corridor briefly reopened after a US-Iran memorandum of understanding (MoU) took effect on June 18, but closed again amid renewed military escalation, with Tehran maintaining that the waterway remains under Iranian control. US President Donald Trump, however, says the waterway is “open and operating.”
