Former NATO commander: 'Nonsense' for Iran to say Strait of Hormuz is open

Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander James Stavridis on Friday dismissed Iran's declaration that the vital Strait of Hormuz is open for navigation as "nonsense," directly contradicting statements from Tehran's Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh. The exchange occurred against the backdrop of a fragile ceasefire between Iran and the United States, with Stavridis arguing that Iran's stipulation that vessels must coordinate with its military effectively negates any claim of open passage through the world's most important oil chokepoint. Stavridis, a retired U.S. Navy admiral with extensive experience in the region, based his sharp critique on the conditions laid out by Iranian officials. Khatibzadeh had stated that while the strait was technically open, maritime traffic was subject to "technical restrictions because of the war zone." This requirement for foreign ships to seek permission or coordination from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy transforms a declaration of openness into a controlled access regime, according to security analysts. The strait, a narrow passage between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, sees about one-fifth of the world's oil shipments pass through it, making its status a critical concern for global energy markets and international trade. The public disagreement highlights the underlying tensions and mistrust that persist despite the tentative ceasefire. Stavridis's comments reflect a broader Western and Gulf Arab skepticism toward Iran's maritime intentions, often citing past incidents where Iran harassed or seized commercial vessels. The condition of military coordination is viewed not as a neutral safety measure but as a potential tool for leverage, intimidation, or escalation. This episode underscores how verbal assurances from conflicting parties in a tense region carry little weight without demonstrable, unconditional changes in behavior on the water, leaving shippers and global markets in a state of cautious uncertainty.