US Central Command on July 31 dismissed Iran’s renewed claim that it had closed
the Strait of Hormuz, calling the report false and saying the waterway remains
open to commercial shipping. CENTCOM said Iran does not control the strait and
that thousands of vessels have transited the international channel in the past
four months. Earlier on July 31 Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Administration said
continued "aggressive" US actions in the area have made normal transit through
the strait impossible.
