The US Central Command on Friday rebutted claims by Iran that transit through the Strait of Hormuz is restricted to routes designated solely by Tehran.The CENTCOM said that the US has facilitated the transit of over 800 commercial vessels and 380 million barrels of crude oil, quashing Iran's claims.
In a post on X, CENTCOM said, "CLAIM: Iranian state media claims that transit through the Strait of Hormuz is only permitted through routes designated by Iran. TRUTH: Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz. Since early May, U.S. forces have helped facilitate the successful transit of more than 800 commercial vessels and 380 million barrels of crude oil through the vital international trade corridor."
The fragile memorandum of understanding (MoU) of the US and Iran raised eyebrows again as three ships were attacked in the strait in recent days, after Iran accused them of attempting to pass without seeking its approval, as per Al Jazeera.
The US hit back with strikes on Thursday morning, hitting the capital, Tehran, too. Iran has, in turn, fired missiles and drones at multiple Gulf nations. On Friday, Iranian officials reported new attacks on the country.
All of this has implications for a global economy that has for decades depended on the Strait of Hormuz, that suffered in recent months as the US-Israel alliance waged war on Iran, and that is now again on tenterhooks.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Thursday claimed it had struck the US Al-Azraq air base in northern Jordan with 10 ballistic missiles on what it described as an "enemy command and control centre in West Asia" in retaliatory strikes in response to a recent attack on Tehran by Washington.
According to a statement carried by Iran's state broadcaster, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the IRGC said the missile strikes marked the "second phase" of its response to what it described as aggression by the United States.
"At 2:20 pm today, IRGC aerospace fighters destroyed the enemy's command and control centre in West Asia and the enemy air base in Al-Azraq, Jordan, with 10 ballistic missiles," the statement read.
