CENTCOM rejects Iran Regime's claim of controlling Strait of Hormuz

22/07/2026

CENTCOM rejects Iran Regime's claim of controlling Strait of Hormuz

TAMPA, Jul 22: US Central Command (CENTCOM) has rejected a claim by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy that it controls entry and exit routes through the Strait of Hormuz, calling the statement false.

In a fact-check statement, CENTCOM said Iran does not control the strategic international waterway and that the Strait of Hormuz remains open for maritime transit despite threats and attacks by the IRGC.

CENTCOM said commercial vessels continue to pass through the strait with support from US military forces, adding that American forces have assisted more than 900 ships transiting the waterway since early May.

The statement came after the IRGC Navy claimed that international vessels could only use routes approved by Iran, a claim Washington said undermines freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most important shipping lanes.