The commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), Adm. Brad Cooper, visited the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, as US forces reach the milestone of assisting Gulf partners in exporting more than 1.5 billion barrels of crude oil since summer. According to a statement from CENTCOM, Cooper observed the current operational environment while flying in a US Army CH-47 Chinook over the international waterway. The statement noted that more than 3,000 commercial vessels have successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz with support from CENTCOM forces over the last six months.
"We continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with our Gulf partners and the shipping industry," said Cooper. "This visit underscores our strong commitment to continued freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz." CENTCOM further noted that momentum has continued to build in recent months since American forces successfully cleared the strait's international shipping lanes of sea mines laid by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
During the trip, Cooper met with the US service members who supported the mine clearance mission. He thanked them for their continued commitment and dedication. "Today, primary transit routes in the Strait of Hormuz remain free and clear of Iranian sea mines thanks to incredible efforts by our people," said Cooper. "We remain intensely focused on keeping commercial traffic flowing as we work with our teammates in the US interagency, Gulf Cooperation Council, and shipping industry."
CENTCOM noted that in recent months “over 95% of ships navigating the Strait of Hormuz have sailed through safely despite the IRGC's unwarranted aggression, clearly demonstrating that the United States and regional partners control the international waterway." American forces continue enforcing a naval blockade of Iran, which resumed on July 14 and covers vessels traveling to or from Iranian ports.
Arutz Sheva passes on a US Central Command statement about the Strait of Hormuz, and in the body it mostly keeps CENTCOM's claims attributed. The headline widens Cooper's claim from the strait's primary transit routes to the whole strait. Every voice in the piece is American, and CENTCOM's charge of IRGC 'unwarranted aggression' stands with no Iranian response.
Headline goes beyond the article
Minor
“Strait of Hormuz is free from Iranian mines”
Why this matters
The headline says the whole Strait of Hormuz is free from Iranian mines.
The impression it gives
A reader takes it that CENTCOM declared the entire strait cleared of mines.
The context
Cooper's quoted words in the body are narrower. He said the 'primary transit routes' remain free and clear, and CENTCOM spoke of clearing the 'international shipping lanes', not the whole waterway.
How we know
Elsewhere in the article“primary transit routes in the Strait of Hormuz remain free and clear of Iranian sea mines”
Elsewhere in the article“cleared the strait's international shipping lanes of sea mines”
“despite the IRGC's unwarranted aggression, clearly demonstrating that the United States and regional partners control the international waterway”
Why this matters
Arutz Sheva quotes CENTCOM's charge of IRGC 'unwarranted aggression' and its claim to control the waterway. These are the only characterisations of Iran's conduct in the article.
The impression it gives
A reader hears only the US military's account of who is responsible for the danger in the strait, with Iran present only as the party accused.
The context
The article carries no Iranian statement or response at all, although the story concerns a confrontation between the US and Iran. It also gives no account of the blockade the article itself says US forces are enforcing against Iranian ports.
How we know
Elsewhere in the article“American forces continue enforcing a naval blockade of Iran”