US forces monitoring Strait of Hormuz to ensure it stays open

The US military has denied Iran's claim that it closed the Strait of Hormuz, stating the waterway remains open and US forces are monitoring the situation.

The ​U.S. military ​on Saturday denied ‌Iran's claims ​that it had closed the Strait of Hormuz, ‌saying the critical waterway remained open and that U.S. forces were monitoring the situation ‌to ensure that continued.

"Iran does not ‌control the Strait of Hormuz," U.S. Central Command spokesperson Navy Captain Tim Hawkins told ⁠Reuters. "Traffic ​continues to ⁠flow, and U.S. forces are monitoring the situation ⁠to ensure this remains the case."

Iran's ​Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared the ⁠Strait of Hormuz shut earlier on Saturday and ⁠warned ​ships not to approach the waterway, casting new doubt on the ⁠future of a ceasefire agreement between the U.S. ⁠and ⁠Iran meant to pave the way for in-depth peace talks.