Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, on July 12, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
The U.S. military insisted on Sunday (July 12, 2026) that ships are moving through the Strait of Hormuz despite Iran’s claim to have closed it in the latest flare-up of the war in West Asia.
Also read: West Asia war updates on July 12, 2026
“Iran does not control the strait. Traffic is flowing,” United States Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees U.S. forces in West Asia, said on X.
In a later post, CENTCOM directly mentioned and challenged an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps statement that the vital conduit for global oil flow was closing.
But the U.S. military said the strait “remains an international waterway. U.S. forces are positioned and prepared to keep it that way.”
As it announced the strait was closing, Iran also attacked U.S.-allied Gulf neighbours in response to the latest series of U.S. strikes on Iran, further endangering a deal that was supposed to halt the war while negotiators seek a definitive agreement to end it.
Published – July 12, 2026 07:36 pm IST
