The United States military has rejected claims by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) that it controls the Strait of Hormuz, dismissing threats to sink American warships approaching the strategic waterway.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Wednesday that American forces and regional allies maintained control of the vital shipping corridor, challenging statements by an Iranian naval commander who warned US vessels against entering the strait.
“The IRGC’s navy commander has no navy,” CENTCOM said in a statement posted on X, asserting that US forces and regional partners remained in control of the waterway.
The command also said American forces had assisted Gulf partners in transporting more than 19 million barrels of crude oil through the strait on Monday, October 12, despite continuing Iranian threats to maritime traffic.
The response followed remarks attributed to IRGC naval commander Ali Azmaei, who claimed that Iranian forces controlled the Strait of Hormuz and warned that approaching American warships would be destroyed.
Azmaei challenged Washington to send its naval vessels into the waterway if it believed the passage remained open, saying Iranian forces were prepared to sink them.
The exchange comes amid escalating maritime tensions between Washington and Tehran, with attacks on commercial vessels raising concerns over the security of one of the world’s most important energy shipping routes.
Iranian forces have intensified attacks on shipping in and around the strait, while the US military has continued operations aimed at protecting maritime traffic and maintaining oil exports from Gulf producers.
