Iran is challenging US claims about the free flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, insisting the waterway remains closed on its own terms. Daily shipping traffic has plummeted from roughly 130 vessels to under 20 as of late August 2026, an 85% collapse. The United States reported facilitating the passage of over 1,500 commercial vessels and the movement of 750 million barrels of oil in August 2026, while Iran dismissed those figures as false. The standoff stems from a broader US-Iran conflict that escalated in February 2026, leading Tehran to establish a regulatory body in May 2026. The 21-mile-wide strait facilitates about one-fifth of global oil and LNG exports.
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