US military claims Strait of Hormuz remains open amid ongoing blockade

A spokesperson for US Central Command stated this week that the United States has maintained commercial passage through the Strait of Hormuz despite ongoing confrontations and an asserted blockade of Iranian maritime trade. Captain Tim Hawkins told Al Jazeera that traffic through the strategic waterway "continues to flow," and that US forces have assisted the movement of a substantial volume of crude oil since early May. CENTCOM said those operations have enabled the transit of more than 900 million barrels of oil to global markets. Hawkins described US forces as conducting parallel missions: facilitating commercial shipping while enforcing what he termed a "highly effective" blockade. He said more than 100 vessels were redirected after attempting to violate the blockade, and that mines had been cleared from internationally recognised primary shipping lanes in the strait several weeks earlier. "The strait is open. Those lanes are open," he said, framing continued commercial movement as proof of access. The US and Iran have been trading competing claims over control of the strait, a chokepoint for global energy supplies. CENTCOM also addressed questions about civilian harm after recent US strikes in southern Iran, including an attack on the city of Kuhestak in Hormozgan province that local sources say hit a wedding and caused deaths and dozens of injuries. Hawkins maintained the US adheres to the laws of armed conflict and said US strikes targeted military sites, including Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps facilities. On the effects of Iranian strikes against US installations, Hawkins asserted that damage has not degraded American operational capability, and he claimed US forces have significantly diminished Iran's missile capabilities and "essentially eliminated Iran's navy." The comments come amid continued tensions in the Gulf and ongoing international concern about the safety and openness of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.