The United States on Tuesday said the southern route through the Strait of Hormuz remains open to commercial shipping despite heightened tensions with Iran, with US Central Command (CENTCOM) stating that American forces have assisted more than 1,000 vessels in safely transiting the strategic waterway over the past three months.

The statement comes amid competing claims by Washington and Tehran over navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical maritime routes for global energy supplies. The latest remarks follow US President Donald Trump’s comments that discussions were under way to fully reopen the waterway as part of broader engagement with Iran.

CENTCOM Says Commercial Shipping Continues

In a post on X, CENTCOM said the southern shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz remains accessible to all commercial vessels.

“The southern route through the Strait of Hormuz remains free and open for all commercial vessels seeking to transit the international waterway. 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,” CENTCOM said.

The US military’s statement comes as tensions persist over freedom of navigation through the strategically important waterway.

US Rejects Claims of Restrictions on Shipping

Earlier, a US official told Al Jazeera that commercial vessels would not require permits, approvals or fees to use any temporary shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz.

According to the official, no single country controls navigation through the international waterway or has the authority to restrict the movement of commercial vessels.

The comments were made after senior Iranian military adviser Mohsen Rezaee rejected President Trump’s recent remarks about reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran Reiterates Its Position

According to Iran’s Press TV, Rezaee said Tehran would not allow vessels to use any shipping route through the Strait other than the one designated by Iran.

He also alleged that the United States had violated a previous memorandum of understanding concerning the Strait before launching military attacks and warned that US warships using what he described as an unauthorised route would be targeted.

The exchange reflects continuing disagreements between Washington and Tehran over maritime access to the strategically important passage.

Trump Links Strait to Wider Iran Talks

Earlier, President Trump said negotiations were under way to “completely” reopen the Strait of Hormuz, describing unrestricted navigation as the first phase of discussions with Iran.

He added that a second phase of negotiations would focus on Iran’s nuclear programme and reiterated that Tehran “cannot have a nuclear weapon”.

However, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei has denied reports of direct or indirect negotiations with Washington, maintaining that Iran is not engaged in bilateral talks with the United States.

The latest statements underscore the continuing diplomatic and military tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping corridor through which a significant share of the world’s oil and gas supplies passes.

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