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US Centcom Rejects Iran's Strait of Hormuz Control Claim as Shipping Stays Subdued

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The US Central Command responded to a claim by Iran's military forces that it controlled the Strait of Hormuz, saying the "international waterway remains open for transit."

"Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz," US Centcom posted on X.

Iran on Wednesday warned commercial vessels against using alternative routes in the Strait of Hormuz, as maritime traffic through the strategic waterway remained constrained and tensions intensified amid ongoing US strikes against Iranian targets.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued a statement that said that entry and exit through the Hormuz remained "clear and under our definite control", while warning that alternative routes were "unsafe and dangerous," according to the semi-official Tasnim News Agency associated with the IRGC.

The IRGC said that vessels using alternative routes could face "heavy and irreparable consequences," Tasnim reported.

Centcom's response reiterated that the Strait of Hormuz was open for shipping. "The international waterway remains open for transit regardless of IRGC threats and attacks. Commercial vessels continue to use the strait with US military support," Centcom posted.

It noted that US military forces helped over 900 ships transit the strait since early May. As of Wednesday, Centcom said it redirected nine commercial vessels and disabled one.

US Centcom alleged that Iran has attacked over 30 vessels transiting the Hormuz over the past three months.

Meanwhile, shipping activity via the Strait remains below normal levels, with operators showing increased caution amid escalating tit-for-tat attacks between Iran and the US.

MarineTraffic data show that traffic through the strategic waterway remained subdued on Tuesday, with nine confirmed crossings recorded.

Activity was slightly weighted toward vessels entering the Middle East Gulf, with five "Entered" or inbound MEG movements and four "Exited" or outbound MEG movements, according to MarineTraffic.

Route behavior was concentrated near the Iranian Unilateral Scheme, which accounted for four of the total nine transits on Tuesday.

The Hormuz Traffic Separation Scheme, designated by the International Maritime Organization, accounted for three crossings, while one crossed the Omani Territorial Waters Passage and one was "Route Undetermined," MarineTraffic data revealed.

Separately, the Bab el-Mandeb chokepoint linking the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden recorded a total of 29 crossings on Tuesday, MarineTraffic said.

"Flows were broadly balanced, with 18 vessels entering the Red Sea and 11 exiting," according to MarineTraffic.

MarineTraffic data show that four verified vessel U-turns around the Gulf of Aden or Bab el-Mandeb Strait, highlighting growing operator caution following recent security threats.

The data indicates that while commercial shipping continues, operators are adjusting routes and behavior in response to rising security concerns.

Disruption risk is extending beyond the Hormuz, with Saudi Arabia's alternative crude export route through the Red Sea facing fresh pressure from heightened security threats.

Kpler strategists said that Saudi Arabia has been routing around 3.5 million barrels per day of crude exports through Yanbu since April as constraints on transit through the Hormuz increased.

The shift has made the Bab el-Mandeb corridor increasingly important for Saudi crude flows, exposing the Gulf state's export bypass to risks from Houthi threats targeting Saudi-linked shipping.

The latest data show that tanker operators have begun adjusting routes in response to the threats, increasing voyage uncertainty and raising the possibility of logistical bottlenecks.

The immediate concern is not a disruption to Saudi Arabia's production, but potential impacts on shipping efficiency, freight costs and global crude trade flows.

Kpler said that a wider escalation affecting the country's refining or export infrastructure could have a more significant impact on international oil markets.

On Tuesday, the US military carried out the eleventh consecutive night of strikes against Iran, targeting Iranian military operations centers, maritime capabilities, aircraft hangars, drone storage facilities, and military logistics infrastructure.

The IMO's daily Strait of Hormuz incident tracker showed one confirmed attack so far this week. This brings the total number of confirmed maritime security incidents in the region to 61 as of Monday.

The IMO tracker provides a daily log of verified strikes on ships attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz since the conflict began, with the earliest incident recorded on March 1.

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