Fact Check: Has the Iranian government closed the Strait of Hormuz?

WASHINGTON, DC: The Iranian government's latest claim that it has closed the Strait of Hormuz has fueled concerns about global oil supplies and maritime security. The strategic waterway has faced heightened tensions and shipping disruptions in recent weeks, but viral posts claiming Iran has completely shut the strait overstate the situation. Let's fact-check the claim.

Claim: Iranian government closed the Strait of Hormuz

According to several viral posts on X, the Iranian government has closed the Strait of Hormuz.

One user claimed, "Iran announces the Strait of Hormuz is closed, and all passage must be coordinated with its navy. Iran also dismissed CENTCOM's claims regarding free movement in the strait as false."

Another user wrote, "The Navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issues warnings to violating ships and redirects oil tankers from illegal routes. The Strait of Hormuz is closed, and any passage will only be possible with the coordination of the Navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps."

The posts also shared what they described as video evidence of the alleged enforcement. The footage, recorded at night, appeared to show fires and burning vessels or infrastructure in the strait and included text overlays referring to the "consequences of the violation" dated July 31, 2026. The claims surfaced amid ongoing disputes over navigation in the waterway.

Since the fragile June 2026 US-Iran memorandum of understanding, Iran has repeatedly asserted greater control over vessel movements through permits and warnings, while CENTCOM has maintained that commercial traffic continues to use the southern shipping routes despite recent security incidents.

Fact Check: The claim is false

The claim that the Iranian government has closed the Strait of Hormuz is false.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated on X, "The Strait of Hormuz remains open for commercial vessel transit. Iran does not control it. Thousands of ships have sailed through the international waterway over the past four months." CENTCOM also reiterated that the strait is an international waterway and that commercial vessels continue to transit it despite heightened regional tensions.

The claim surfaced after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that all vessels must coordinate passage through the strait with its navy and released videos purporting to show enforcement actions.

Those statements followed several days of increased maritime tensions, including warnings to commercial ships and reports of isolated disruptions.

However, no credible international maritime authority, shipping organization, or independent monitoring service has confirmed that Iran has successfully closed the Strait of Hormuz.

Vessel traffic continues through the waterway, although shipping companies remain on high alert owing to elevated security risks.