U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said that traffic has continued in the Strait of Hormuz despite Iranian military command’s claim that the waterway had been closed.
Iran said they closed it because Israel bombed Hezbollah. However, the IDF said Hezbollah bombed Israeli forces in Lebanon first.
In a release on Saturday, CENTCOM said, “Commercial ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz increased June 20 as U.S. forces continued operating in the general area to support freedom of navigation.”
“Safe passage through the international waterway remained intact today as 55 merchant ships transited, moving large amounts of cargo and more than 17 million barrels of oil to global markets,” the command added.
It noted that commercial ships are advised by the Joint Maritime Information Center to take a designated route to avoid “arbitrary claims or impediments.”
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) June 20, 2026
