A U.S. Central Command spokesperson said Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz and maritime traffic continues to flow through the waterway.
The statement addresses ongoing tensions in one of the world's most critical oil transit chokepoints, where any disruption could trigger global energy price volatility and shift regional security dynamics.
Col. Tim Hawkins, spokesperson for U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), said the comments on May 23, 2026 [1]. He said that U.S. forces are monitoring the situation to ensure that international shipping remains uninterrupted.
"We are monitoring the situation to ensure the continuation of navigation through the strait," Hawkins said [1].
This assertion of freedom of navigation follows a period of heightened friction. In a previous statement on May 17, a CENTCOM spokesperson said Iran uses the Strait of Hormuz as a weapon to threaten the freedom of navigation, and that the U.S. is putting an end to those actions [2].
Despite the U.S. position, other regional perspectives differ. Reuters Arabic reported that Iran maintains that any mechanism regarding the Strait of Hormuz must be agreed upon between Iran, Oman, and other coastal states [3].
CENTCOM continues to emphasize its role in maintaining stability between the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman. The spokesperson said that the U.S. ensures freedom of navigation in the area [2].
“"Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz, and we ensure freedom of navigation in it."”
The discrepancy between the U.S. military's stance and Iran's claim to a say in the waterway's management highlights a fundamental conflict over international law versus regional sovereignty. By asserting that Iran does not control the strait, the U.S. is signaling that it views the waterway as an international corridor under the protection of global maritime norms rather than a zone subject to Iranian domestic regulation.
