US maintains Iran blockade, Hormuz stays open

The United States has cleared the Strait of Hormuz for transit while maintaining a massive military blockade of Iran, with 50,000 troops deployed in the region.

CENTCOM chief Michael Cooper confirmed that nearly 1,500 vessels carrying roughly 750 million barrels of crude oil have passed through the strait in recent months.

Mediators have renewed their focus on reopening the waterway, with Tehran agreeing to draft a list of conditions for restoring traffic.

However, the Trump administration has reportedly rejected a return to the June agreement, preferring to continue economic pressure on the Iranian regime.