US controls Hormuz: White House

Washington: The White House has declared that the United States controls the Strait of Hormuz, claiming American forces have cleared Iranian mines, protected nearly 1,500 commercial vessels and prevented Tehran from exporting oil through the strategic waterway.

In a statement citing the US Central Command (CENTCOM), the White House said American forces were keeping global energy supplies moving while denying Iran revenue that Washington says could be used to threaten international commerce.

The assertions were presented by the administration as evidence supporting President Donald Trump’s repeated statements that the US Navy had gained control over the strait. The White House release did not include a response from Iran.

According to the administration, Iranian mines have been cleared from international shipping lanes in the strait.

It said nearly 1,500 commercial vessels had travelled through the waterway under US protection, carrying 750 million barrels of crude oil to international markets.

The White House also claimed that Iran had exported no oil from its shores since an American blockade resumed in July. It said US forces had turned around 75 vessels that attempted to break the blockade.

Gulf oil exports have recovered to about two-thirds of the levels recorded before the US operation and continue to rise, the statement said.

“The only one that has control of the Strait of Hormuz right now is the United States Navy,” Trump said on August 10.

“We have a blockade that’s been infallible. It’s a steel wall… We control the Strait, 100%,” he added.

Trump has repeated the assertion several times during August. On Thursday, he said the United States had control of the strait while Iran was receiving nothing through it.

“The Strait of Hormuz is open. We have control, and we have the blockade. Iran is not getting anything; nothing is going through,” Trump said.

The administration argued that Iran’s ability to use the strategically important passage as leverage had been weakened by American military operations and the blockade on Iranian exports.

Former deputy national security adviser KT McFarland said Iran had overplayed its hand by closing the strait.

“For 50 yrs Iran blackmailed world. No longer. That card is dead,” McFarland said in remarks cited by the White House.

John Spencer, chair of urban warfare studies at West Point, said the US blockade was effective despite statements coming from Tehran.

“Iran’s claims that it has closed the Strait of Hormuz are false. It has neither closed the strait nor effectively stopped maritime traffic,” he said.

The White House said the blockade formed part of a broader campaign of economic pressure designed to cut Iran off from sources of revenue.

“The economic pressure on the Iranian regime is only tightening,” the administration said.

It cited Operation Economic Outcast, a US campaign aimed at isolating Iran economically and disrupting what Washington describes as Tehran’s remaining financial lifelines.

The White House said Trump would continue applying pressure on Iran until the country was no longer able to threaten the international community. It did not specify what military or diplomatic conditions would lead Washington to end the blockade.

The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow maritime passage connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. Oil and liquefied natural gas exports from several Gulf countries move through the waterway, making its security important to energy-importing countries, including India.

IANS