TEHRAN: The Iranian military has strongly denied the United States Central Command’s assertion that American warships recently transited the Strait of Hormuz, dismissing the claim as “based on lies.”
A spokesman for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters told Al Jazeera that the US military has no authority to operate in the strategic waterway. “Only the Iranian armed forces have the authority to allow any ship to pass through the Strait of Hormuz,” the spokesman said, rejecting the US account in its entirety.
The rebuke came in response to a statement from US Central Command (CENTCOM), which announced that it had launched a mine-clearing mission in the Strait of Hormuz. According to CENTCOM, two US Navy guided-missile warships participated in the operation, successfully passing through the strait and conducting missions in the Arabian Gulf.
CENTCOM added that additional US troops and underwater drones would join the operation in the coming days. The command also said it would soon share safe passage information with the maritime industry to promote free trade in the region.
The Straits of Hourmaz, located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula, is a vital chokepoint for global oil shipments. Tensions between Washington and Tehran have frequently played out in the waterway, with both sides accusing each other of unsafe or provocative maneuvers in the past.
There was no immediate independent verification of either claim. CENTCOM has not publicly responded to Iran’s rejection.
