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The US military on Monday rejected an Iranian commander’s claim that Tehran maintains operational control over maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf.
“Iran has no navy because American forces sank it,” US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on “X”, the social media company formerly known as “Twitter”.
CENTCOM said Tehran exercised no authority over the vital maritime chokepoint, adding that thousands of commercial vessels had passed through the strait and that more than 1 billion barrels of crude had transited the waterway in recent months.
Iranian commander claims control
The statement followed reports by Iranian state media quoting Army Chief of Staff and Deputy Coordinator Rear Adm. Habibollah Sayyari as saying naval forces under the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps exercised full control over the waterway and the Gulf.
Sayyari also said the army’s naval forces monitored the eastern approach to the Indian Ocean and warned that they would not allow maritime transit.
Dispute over the strategic corridor
The United States and Iran have exchanged accusations over blockades in the strategic corridor during the seven-month war between the two countries, which began with large-scale US and Israeli strikes in late February.
