"Some are criticizing us [Iran], saying that we have closed the Strait of Hormuz. We do not believe in closing the Strait of Hormuz at all," Iranian military commander Amir Heydari told Iranian state TV on Thursday.
The first sign that the critical maritime chokepoint was partially open came late Wednesday night, when we were among the first to report that a China-linked bulk carrier exited the Strait of Hormuz without incident, a notable development given earlier reports and market chatter that Iran might allow only Chinese-linked ships to transit.
Shortly after our report that the Iron Maiden vessel made it through the narrowest part of the waterway unharmed, Bloomberg also reported on the development, noting that the ship had changed its destination signal to "CHINA OWNER."
Latest activity in the Strait.
Earlier this week, Iran's IRGC said that any vessel sailing through the waterway "could be at risk from missiles or rogue drones," according to the semi-official Fars News Agency.
China has urged peace and called for an immediate ceasefire to the U.S.-Israeli Operation Epic Fury to "prevent further escalation of tensions and stop the conflict from spreading and engulfing the entire Middle East."
Everyone knows why China is calling for peace: the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's cheap oil flows have effectively been closed to the world's second-largest economy, and that pressure is likely to be used as leverage by President Trump in his upcoming visit to China.
Trump has said the U.S. will offer insurance for tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz and, if necessary, provide naval escorts to help restart energy flows as the commercial shipping lane remains heavily disrupted.
Beijing is likely asking this question:
Even with ten or more tankers and other vessels reportedly hit by IRGC drones in or around the Strait, intelligence and military analysts told Reuters that the IRGC could sustain drone attacks in the waterway for months. The Strait has not been fully closed, in part because the Trump administration spent the week degrading Iran's naval capabilities, but the disruption is still severe because major European and global insurers have abruptly pulled or canceled war-risk coverage for the region.