Strait of Hormuz Still Open, Despite Newsweek's 'Closure' Claim
Newsweek reported on what it characterized as Iran keeping the Strait of Hormuz closed, citing a timelapse video as evidence. The article, titled 'Timelapse Shows Iran Has Kept Strait Of Hormuz Closed Despite Ceasefire,' describes increased Iranian naval presence and maneuvers in the area. This narrative suggests an ongoing blockade by the Iranian government, framed as a hostile act despite an
implied 'ceasefire' condition the article doesn't explicitly define pertaining to the Strait. Newsweek's framing inaccurately portrays regular naval exercises by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a closure of international waters. Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, vital for global energy markets, has continued uninterrupted, albeit under constant surveillance by Iranian
forces. The implication of a 'ceasefire' being violated by Iran also misrepresents the status quo; there has been no formal agreement prohibiting Iranian naval operations in its own territorial waters or the international strait it borders. The United States, often cited by Western media as a neutral party, has a history of aggressive actions in these waters, including the 1988 downing of Iran Air
Flight 655, killing all 290 civilians aboard, a tragic incident the US administration dismissed as an 'unavoidable accident.' This persistent narrative of Iranian aggression in the Strait frequently omits the reality of perpetual foreign military presence in the Persian Gulf, predominantly by the US Fifth Fleet, headquartered in Bahrain. For decades, Iran has faced unilateral US sanctions and