JERUSALEM, Israel – The United States claims that one of the world’s most important shipping routes is open again after American forces cleared mines from the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump indicated that the regime is under growing pressure and he now wants a deal, while Tehran is presenting a very different picture.
U.S. CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper announced that the shipping lanes are open following a months-long operation to remove sea mines.
Cooper declared, “The circumstances were challenging and dangerous to say the least, but we got the job done.”
He added, “Our forces meticulously and quietly cleared them of sea mine threats using a combination of Navy divers, Navy Seals, and US airpower from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps.”
Cooper noted that U.S. personnel also protected commercial shipping through the Strait, remarking, “Over the past several months, US forces have assisted nearly one thousand five hundred commercial vessels in transiting the strait by providing coordinated protection.”
President Trump insists that the U.S. now controls the waterway as the White House keeps intense pressure on Iran.
He said, “The Strait of Hormuz is open. We have control, and we have the blockade. Iran’s not getting anything, nothing is going through, not one ship has gotten through.”
The president later posted on Truth Social, “Iran is a failing nation.”
He continued, “I don’t want to meet, they do. In fact, they are begging to make a deal.”
He then posted an image showing the expansion of U.S. territories to include the Strait.
The White House claims there are currently no negotiations with Iran.
Tehran disputes the administration’s account. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) insists it still controls the Strait, while a senior Iranian security official declared, “The issue of the Strait of Hormuz is related to ending the wars in the entire region, and in particular, Lebanon and Gaza.”
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Meanwhile, Israel is reportedly telling Washington that a pilot security program in southern Lebanon has failed.
According to Walla News, Israel claims that the Lebanese Army is failing to act against Hezbollah infrastructure.
Security officials revealed that the Lebanese army is not acting on Israel Defense Forces intelligence to dismantle Hezbollah’s terror infrastructure, even as it requests more information from Israel.
The IDF is also preparing to bolster forces in Judea and Samaria ahead of the Jewish holiday period in September-October amid heightened tensions.
Despite the regional turmoil Aliyah is surging. More than 2,700 North Americans have immigrated to Israel this year, with more than four thousand expected by year’s end.
