U.S. Says Hormuz Is Open as Iran Insists Strait Remains Closed

U.S. Central Command said Sunday afternoon that the Strait of Hormuz was fully open to vessels, traffic was flowing and American forces were positioned to preserve freedom of navigation. Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority rejected that account minutes later, saying passage was currently impossible because of recent U.S. military activity and permits would resume only after stability returned. President Donald Trump then told NBC that the strait was open. The competing claims followed U.S.-Iranian exchanges of fire and Iran's overnight closure announcement, leaving the waterway's operational status publicly disputed.