Newsmax: U.S. Central Command said Saturday that commercial ship traffic continued moving through the Strait of Hormuz, hours after an Iranian military command claimed the strategic waterway had been closed.
In a statement, CENTCOM said 55 merchant ships transited the strait on Saturday, carrying more than 17 million barrels of oil and other cargo to global markets.
“Safe passage through the international waterway remained intact today,” CENTCOM said.
The statement came after Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said in a Telegram statement carried by Iran’s Tasnim News Agency that the Strait of Hormuz had been closed because of what Tehran described as U.S. violations of the recently signed memorandum of understanding and Israel’s continued military operations in Lebanon.
Iran’s military command warned that additional measures could follow if what it called “continued aggression” persisted.
Despite the Iranian announcement, CENTCOM said U.S. forces remain in the area.
“U.S. forces remain present and vigilant to ensure all aspects of the agreement with Iran are adhered to, obeyed, and in full force and effect,” the command said.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important energy shipping routes, carrying a significant share of globally traded oil and liquefied natural gas.