U.S. assists over 1,000 ships through Strait of Hormuz, says southern route remains open
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Washington: U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that the southern route through the Strait of Hormuz remains open for commercial shipping, confirming that American forces have assisted over 1,000 vessels in safely navigating the strategic waterway over the past three months despite ongoing Iranian aggression.
"The southern route through the Strait of Hormuz remains free and open for all commercial vessels seeking to transit the international waterway," CENTCOM stated in a post on X. "Over the past three months, U.S. forces have assisted more than 1,000 vessels in successfully transiting the strait despite unwarranted Iranian aggression, and these transits continue today."
The operational update underscores ongoing U.S. efforts to protect global trade through one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints. As part of enforcement operations supporting a U.S. blockade against Iran, CENTCOM reported that as of August 4, American forces had redirected 45 commercial vessels, disabled two, and boarded two others to ensure compliance.
Concurrently, U.S. officials indicated progress on diplomatic fronts aimed at easing the crisis. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent noted during an interview with CNBC that Washington is actively negotiating with Tehran and expressed optimism that an agreement to fully reopen the strait could be finalized shortly.
Bessent emphasized that any resolution would guarantee "freedom of movement" without Iranian tolls on passing ships. He added that enabling hundreds of stranded vessels to resume transit would lower shipping costs and alleviate supply constraints affecting global energy, fertilizer, refined petroleum, and industrial gas markets.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed that while Washington's primary long-term goal remains the denuclearization of Iran, securing the immediate reopening and safety of the Strait of Hormuz remains the administration’s top priority.
(Inputs from IANS)