Strait of Hormuz: Washington says 'open', Tehran says 'closed'

"The Strait of Hormuz is a vital maritime corridor for world trade," stated the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) in a press release. The command stressed that "Iran does not control it" and that US forces remain deployed and prepared to "ensure that freedom of navigation continues to be available for commercial shipping."

This is the latest official update from the US government regarding one of the world's primary logistics corridors. This key infrastructure for international trade is also highly relevant to the fashion industry. Since the military offensive began in the region, maritime traffic through the strait has been reduced to a fraction of its usual capacity. The threat level continues to be considered severe. This situation is forcing shipping companies, logistics operators and businesses to rethink their routes and supply chains.

The figures reflect the extent of this disruption. According to the most recent estimates from Windward Maritime Intelligence, on July 11, only 21 commercial vessels passed through the strait, compared to the nearly 140 daily transits recorded before the conflict broke out. Other sources report different figures, although all agree on a very sharp drop in traffic. This discrepancy is largely due to the difficulty of monitoring real activity in the area. A growing number of vessels are crossing as dark vessels, with the AIS automatic identification system disconnected to reduce the risk of becoming a target. Added to this is the constant interference with GNSS satellite navigation systems, which further complicates the tracking of maritime traffic.

Iran maintains a completely different version

The Persian Gulf Strait Authority, an organisation controlled by Tehran, has stated that recent movements by US forces, which it deems illegal, are currently preventing navigation through the strait. The Iranian authority stated that transit requests will be reviewed once the situation normalises and will be processed in order of priority. This follows the Revolutionary Guard's announcement that it was closing the passage until further notice. The Guard also attacked two commercial vessels for allegedly violating navigation rules imposed by Iran.

For this reason, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, a leading global authority on commercial shipping safety, and the United States Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) continue to consider the strait as international waters. Both organisations maintain the security threat level in the severe category, the second highest level in the classification.

Despite this, the United States Central Command insisted on Sunday that the strait remains open to all vessels wishing to transit legally. It reiterated that Iran does not control this waterway, despite recent attacks on commercial vessels. President Donald Trump later repeated this message in an interview with NBC.

The origin of the dispute lies in the interpretation of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, signed last month as part of the ceasefire. The agreement establishes that Iran must allow toll-free passage for commercial vessels for at least 60 days while peace negotiations advance. It also requires Iran to open talks with Oman to define the future administration model for the Strait of Hormuz.

The current escalation was triggered on July 11, when the Iranian Revolutionary Guard attacked and set fire to a Cyprus-flagged container ship passing through the strait. After that episode, Tehran again declared the waterway closed and the United States responded with an air offensive against around 140 Iranian military targets.

Tension continues to rise. During Monday morning, the Revolutionary Guard launched a retaliatory operation against US military bases located in Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait. Jordan claimed to have intercepted four missiles, while Kuwait reported that it was neutralising several hostile air targets. For its part, Bahrain activated emergency sirens and urged the population to remain sheltered.

This article was translated to English using an AI tool.

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