Is the Strait of Hormuz Closed? CENTCOM Debunks Iran's Claims as IMO Condemns Tanker Attack
The conflict between the United States and Iran intensified on Wednesday after the US confirmed fresh "self-defense" strikes on multiple targets in Iran, prompting retaliatory attacks and heightened tensions across the Gulf region.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the strikes were carried out "in response to Iran's unwarranted and continued aggression." Following the attacks, reports surfaced claiming that Iran had closed the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz to all vessels, including oil tankers and commercial ships.
The claim was first reported by CNN, citing sources within Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which allegedly declared the waterway closed due to regional insecurity. Reuters also carried similar reports. However, CENTCOM dismissed the claims as false, stating that commercial vessels continued to transit through the Strait despite the escalating hostilities.
Iran further claimed it had launched missile and drone attacks against US ships in the Strait of Hormuz and targeted a US Navy fleet stationed in Bahrain. CENTCOM rejected those assertions as well, saying no US warships had been struck.
US President Donald Trump signalled the possibility of further military action, warning Iran during a White House briefing that Washington would continue its offensive campaign.
"We hit them hard yesterday, and we're going to hit them hard again today,"Trump said. "We're going to be attacking them very hard." He added that the US remains interested in reaching a "meaningful" agreement with Iran but did not provide a timeline for any potential deal.
Meanwhile, Iran's state-run Tasnim News Agency quoted a source as saying that Tehran would respond decisively to any US aggression and would not succumb to "political blackmail."
Amid the escalating conflict, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) strongly condemned an attack on the Palau-flagged tanker MT Settebello near the Strait of Hormuz that reportedly left three seafarers missing.
According to the IMO, the vessel caught fire after being struck by a projectile off the coast of Oman. IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez described any act endangering seafarers and international shipping as "simply unacceptable" and called for a full and transparent investigation.
In a separate statement, CENTCOM said US forces had disabled the tanker in the Gulf of Oman late Tuesday after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with instructions from American forces. According to the US military, a military aircraft fired precision munitions into the vessel's engine room.
The IMO stressed that the protection of civilian shipping, seafarers and freedom of navigation must be upheld at all times, noting that 43 attacks on international shipping have been confirmed in and around the Strait of Hormuz since February 28, 2026.
India also strongly condemned the attack on the commercial vessel. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that of the 24 Indian crew members onboard the MT Settebello, 21 had been rescued while three remained missing. India's Embassy in Oman is coordinating with local authorities as search-and-rescue operations continue.
The MEA described the repeated attacks on commercial shipping as deeply concerning and linked them to the ongoing regional conflict. India reiterated its call for immediate de-escalation, a diplomatic resolution to the crisis, and the restoration of safe and unrestricted navigation through international waterways in accordance with international law.