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Is the Strait of Hormuz closed? US Central Command fact checks Iran's IRGC after fresh strikes
US-Iran tensions escalated after fresh strikes. Claims that Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz were disputed by US Central Command. It said shipping continues.
The conflict between the US and Iran escalated on Wednesday after the US said that it is carrying out fresh "self-defense" strikes on multiple targets in Iran. The two countries exchanged fire after the US attack, which the US Central Command said was “in response to Iran’s unwarranted and continued aggression.”
Amid that, multiple reports surfaced claiming that Iran had closed off the Strait of Hormuz to "all vessels." The closure of Hormuz after Wednesday's strikes by the US was first reported by CNN citing sources in the IRGC.
"Effective immediately, due to insecurity in the region, the Strait of Hormuz is declared closed to all vessels, including oil tankers and commercial ships," the IRGC source said, per CNN. Additionally, Reuters also claimed that the Strait is closed after the recent ceasefire.
However, the US Central Command has flagged the claim that the Strait of Hormuz is closed as false. It fact-checked the reports by CNN and Reuters, noting that "Commercial ships are continuing to transit in and out of the Strait of Hormuz tonight" despite the fresh hostilities.
Also read: ‘Hit them hard’: Trump warns of fresh US attacks on Iran as tensions escalate
Iran's Claim About Targeting US Ships Fact Checked
Iran on Wednesday also claimed that it targeted US ships in the Strait of Hormuz with missiles and a drone attack. Additionally, Iran's state media reported that Iran targeted a fleet of the US Navy in Bahrain in response to the US strikes.
However, the US Central Command fact-checked that claim as well. It claimed in a post on social media that “No US warships have been struck.”
Trump's Threat Even As Talks Continue
Even as the talks for a ceasefire continue between the two countries, Trump on Wednesday threatened Iran with some harsh words, hinting at the possible intensity of Thursday's attack.
Also read: Iran exposes Trump's desperation as US 'resumes' war; Not IRGC, but America biggest threat to Arabs?
“We hit them hard yesterday, and we’re going to hit them hard again today,” Trump said at a White House presser earlier on Wednesday. We’re going to be attacking them and attacking them very hard.” He noted that the US is pushing for a deal with Iran that is "meaningful and works." But he did not provide a clear timeline of when that could be achieved, saying, “We’ll see what happens with the deal.”
Meanwhile, Iran's state-media Tasnim News agency reported, citing a source, that Iran will meet every aggression by the US with a decisive military response, not "political blackmail."
