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US Central Command (CENTCOM) has rejected claims by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) that it controls the Strait of Hormuz and would sink approaching American warships. In a statement posted on the social media platform X, CENTCOM asserted that the IRGC has no navy and that US forces and regional partners maintain clear control of the strategic waterway.

CENTCOM also said US forces had assisted regional partners in moving more than 19 million barrels of crude oil through the strait on Monday. The waterway is regarded as critical for maritime security and global oil shipments, and tensions between Washington and Tehran over its control have escalated in recent days.

A day earlier, an official from the IRGC Navy had threatened to sink US warships if they approached the strait, saying Iranian forces were counting down to a possible confrontation. CENTCOM's statement directly contradicted those remarks and reaffirmed the presence and activity of American and partner forces in the Gulf.

Key Takeaways

• CENTCOM said the IRGC has no navy and that US and partner forces control the Strait of Hormuz
• US forces helped regional partners ship more than 19 million barrels of crude oil through the strait on Monday
• An IRGC Navy official had threatened to sink US warships approaching the waterway