WASHINGTON: US Central Command (CENTCOM) has rejected a claim by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy commander that Tehran controls the Strait of Hormuz, saying US forces and regional partners maintain control of the strategic waterway.
In a post on X, CENTCOM said US forces had helped regional partners transport more than 19 million barrels of crude oil through the strait the previous day.
🚫 CLAIM: The navy commander for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed today that the Strait of Hormuz is under IRGC control and any approaching U.S. Navy warships would be “sunk.”
✅ FACT: IRGC’s navy commander has no navy. American forces and regional partners clearly control the Strait of Hormuz. Just yesterday U.S. forces assisted Gulf partners in shipping more than 19 million barrels of crude oil through the strait.
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) October 13, 2026
The US military command also dismissed the Iranian commander’s warning that approaching US Navy warships would be “sunk”, pushing back against Tehran’s assertion of control over the vital shipping route.
The Strait of Hormuz is a key global energy transit route, through which substantial volumes of the world’s oil supplies pass. Any disruption to shipping through the narrow waterway could affect international energy markets and raise concerns over regional security.
READ ALSO: Over 1bn Barrels Oil Shipped Through Strait of Hormuz Under US Blockade: CENTCOM
The US naval blockade, reinstated in July, targets maritime traffic entering and leaving Iranian ports and coastal areas, while CENTCOM says ships travelling through the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports are not subject to the blockade.
The measures are intended to restrict Iran’s maritime trade and economic activity, but the confrontation has heightened risks for commercial shipping and global energy supplies.
