U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) on Tuesday pushed back on an assertion by Rear Adm. Ali Ozamaei, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ navy, that U.S. forces have abandoned the Strait of Hormuz and moved hundreds of “kilometers” away.
“This is FALSE,” CENTCOM posted to its X account. “FACT: U.S. forces deployed to the Middle East remain present and vigilant in the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters, as demonstrated by the CENTCOM commander this weekend. U.S. forces and regional partners control the international waterway—clearly not Iran.”
According to Pars Today, an Iranian state media outlet, Ozamaei told Iranian television on Oct. 14: “We are waiting for U.S. warships to approach the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz so we can sink them. We are counting down, moment by moment, until that happens.”
“If the Americans want to find out whether the Strait of Hormuz is open or closed, they should enter the arena and see who controls it,” he said.
Ozamaei was appointed navy commander on Aug. 10, 2026 after the death of his predecessor, Alireza Tangsiri, who was killed by the Israel Defense Forces in an airstrike in March.
🚫 CLAIM: The navy commander for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps recently claimed that U.S. forces have abandoned the Strait of Hormuz by moving hundreds of "kilometers" away. This is FALSE.
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) October 27, 2026
✅ FACT: U.S. forces deployed to the Middle East remain present and vigilant in… pic.twitter.com/ryRQLz0Ljs
