US President Donald Trump says the country’s navy has cleared the entire Strait of Hormuz of naval mines and that the United States now has full control over the important waterway.
Trump said at the White House on Monday that the “Strait of Hormuz is open” and that many ships are passing through the route. He also emphasized that the US Navy has managed to clear the shipping route in the strait.
However, data on maritime traffic indicates that shipping activity through the Strait of Hormuz has not yet returned to normal. According to a Reuters report, only six ships passed through the waterway on Monday, while before the war, around 130 to 140 ships crossed the route each day.
Iran, meanwhile, says that for the Strait of Hormuz to be fully reopened, the United States must lift the naval blockade, withdraw its forces from the region, and remove the sanctions imposed on Tehran. Disagreements over these demands continue, and the future of the full reopening of this strategic route remains uncertain.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important energy transportation routes. Continued restrictions on shipping through the waterway could affect global oil markets and energy prices.
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