Former U.S. diplomat Joey Hood stated that neither the U.S. nor Iran's accounts of the current situation in the Strait of Hormuz are entirely accurate. While Trump frequently says the strait is open, this isn't entirely true, and Iran's claim that they have closed it is equally inaccurate. Hood points out that Iran lacks the physical means to completely block the waterway. It's not like a highway where you can put up a gate or erect some kind of barrier to stop shipping. Instead, Iran relies on coercion; they threaten and then launch missiles at unarmed merchant ships in an attempt to force their will upon them. Not all shipping complies with Iran's threats. Some ships turn off their transponders, sail at night, and stay close to the Omani coastline, while the U.S. military tries to "use all available assets to protect them."
