US official says Strait of Hormuz fully open, under US Navy control - Al Jazeera
The Strait of Hormuz is fully open and under US Navy control despite Iranian threats to establish a restricted zone in the waterway, a senior US official told Al Jazeera.
The official said the assessment followed a covert US Navy mine-clearing operation in the strait since April, previously reported by the Financial Times, in which US special operations forces removed an estimated 80 naval mines.
Shipping traffic is expected to increase as a result, the official told Al Jazeera, adding that Washington remains satisfied with current oil and gas flows through the strait.
The official also said the US economic pressure campaign had “completely” damaged Iran’s economy through sanctions and a tightened naval blockade, which the official described as “the most successful in history.”
About 20 vessels remain involved in the blockade and are escorting commercial ships through the strait, according to the report.
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