CENTCOM: Strait of Hormuz open to all vessels and Iran does not control it; over 140 ships transited in seven days

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Sunday, 12 July 2026, in response to the IRGC Navy's declaration that the Strait of Hormuz was closed, that the international waterway is open to all vessels transiting it lawfully and that "Iran does not control the strait." CENTCOM added that US forces are positioned and prepared to ensure freedom of navigation and that traffic is flowing.

According to the statement, more than 140 vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz over the past seven days, and more than 800 ships carrying over 400 million barrels of crude oil transited the route over roughly the past two months. Earlier on Sunday the IRGC had declared the strait closed "until further notice" after what it called warning shots fired at a ship on an unauthorized route. The Strait of Hormuz carries about 20% of the world's oil and gas, so any tension there feeds directly into oil prices and Iran's markets.