“We have been controlling the southern part of the Strait of Hormuz for two months now. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps can cause trouble, but it does not control the strait. We do,” said one of the portal’s interlocutors.
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According to Axios, the group overseeing the operation is based in North Carolina and coordinates actions with partners in the Middle East. The US military assists tankers entering the Persian Gulf from the Arabian Sea, loading oil in regional countries, and then sailing through the Strait of Hormuz.
Convoys of ships sail at scheduled times under military instructions, which ensure protection from Iranian cruise missiles and drones. As Axios notes, just this week the US shot down eight Iranian drones and two cruise missiles.
Recently, US President Donald Trump stated that a “huge amount of oil” is transported through the Strait of Hormuz. He also noted that negotiations with Tehran are not currently happening because they are a “waste of time.”
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“The Iranians still have the strength to fight, but overall they are just a shadow of their former ‘self’,” said the White House leader. Additionally, the US leader posted a map of the Strait of Hormuz on his social network Truth Social with the caption “New US Territory.” Earlier, he stated that after the war with Tehran ends, he will declare the strait American.
Before the start of the US-Iran war, up to 20% of the world’s oil exports passed through the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran closed this strategically important sea route to ships after massive strikes on its territory. This caused a sharp jump in global oil prices.
In response to Tehran’s actions, the US imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports. In conflict resolution negotiations, Iran demands the right to collect a toll for passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
