Iran's Revolutionary Guards say full control established over Strait of Hormuz

TEHRAN, Iran — TEHRAN — Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy announced Friday evening that it had established "full control" over the Strait of Hormuz, declaring the waterway closed to vessels attempting to transit without coordinating with Tehran. The Guards dismissed U.S. statements that the strait remained open to maritime traffic as "an outright lie." The same day, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian acknowledged that the country's exports and imports had fallen by 35 percent due to sanctions and the blockade. Iran's Supreme Leader's representative, Mojtaba Khamenei, said the country would prioritize "domestic production and frugal spending" in response to sanctions. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) commander Admiral Brad Cooper said Friday that U.S. forces had cleared naval mines laid by the IRGC on international shipping routes. CENTCOM reported that since the naval blockade against Iran resumed on July 14, 75 commercial vessels had been rerouted. The U.S. Treasury Department announced this month it had targeted smuggling and sanctions evasion networks as part of an "Economic Exile" operation against Iran. Control of the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of global oil passes, has become a central point of contention in negotiations between Iran and the United States.