The U.S. Central Command immediately denied Iran's claims of closing the Strait of Hormuz as "false." The U.S. military has been intensely maintaining a maritime blockade against Iran, rerouting 30 merchant vessels and disabling 2 vessels in less than a month, thereby tightening Iran's economic lifeline.

On August 1, 2026 (local time), the U.S. Central Command dismissed Iran's claims of closing the Strait of Hormuz as "false" on July 31 (local time), emphasizing that the strait remains open to civilian shipping. This is a direct rebuttal to Iran's assertion that it is attempting to control a major international maritime waterway. The U.S. Central Command added that thousands of vessels have safely passed through the Strait of Hormuz over the past four months.

The U.S. maritime blockade operations against Iran continue resolutely. According to the U.S. Central Command, as of July 31, a total of 30 merchant vessels have been rerouted, 2 have been disabled, and another 2 have undergone boarding inspections. Separately, approximately 30 vessels for humanitarian assistance have been permitted to pass through the blockade, demonstrating the multifaceted nature of the operations.

The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed to have attacked 2 tankers under U.S. air escort, but the U.S. Central Command immediately denied this through social media platform X, openly revealing the nature of information warfare.

[Photo=Yonhapnews]

Notably, the U.S. maritime blockade was lifted and then resumed in less than a month. The blockade was lifted on July 18, but was abruptly resumed from July 14 at 4 p.m. (U.S. Eastern Time, 5 a.m. Korean time on the 15th) following the substantial termination of the ceasefire memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the U.S. and Iran. The purpose of the blockade stems from a strategic intent to pressure Iran by cutting off the financial lifeline of its national economy, which depends on crude oil and gas exports.

Currently deployed at the blockade operations site are the U.S. Navy's USS Michael Murphy and MH-60R Seahawk helicopters supporting the operations. This demonstrates that the U.S. military is backing its strong will to control the Strait of Hormuz with substantial military force.

As the U.S. Central Command continues to strongly express its will to control the Strait of Hormuz and maintain blockade operations, Iran, which heavily depends on oil and gas exports for its national economy, is expected to continue facing strong economic and military pressure from the United States. This foreshadows that tensions in the Middle East region will not easily subside.