The rebuttal follows claims from Azmaei that the IRGC controls the strait and challenges Washington to test that authority. Azmaei described the US military as "fuel smugglers" who mobilized all resources to escort only 4 or 5 oil tankers. separately, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei stated on Monday that closures in the waterway were a lawful response to US and Israeli attacks rather than an attempt to gain diplomatic leverage.
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
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US Forces Ship 19M Barrels of Oil to Refute Iran Control Claims
Commodities7 days ago
American warships and regional partners maintain control over the primary oil transit route in the Persian Gulf despite claims from Tehran, US Central Command stated. The command dismissed threats from IRGC Navy Commander Ali Azmaei to sink vessels entering the Strait of Hormuz, asserting that the Iranian officer "has no navy." To demonstrate continued access, CENTCOM reported that US forces assisted Gulf partners in moving more than 19 million barrels of crude oil through the waterway on Monday.
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