The U.S. and Iran are exchanging competing claims about who can control shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Fortune reports that U.S. officials, including Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth, describe U.S. naval actions as capable of preventing Iranian obstruction and cite an increase in oil shipments leaving the Persian Gulf as evidence that the U.S. can keep the strait open. In this framing, the U.S. presents itself as able to “punch open” access even if Iran demonstrated an ability to threaten closure. The second provided source, Yahoo News, references the same dispute but does not add additional specific details in the excerpt supplied. Across the coverage, the central point is a contrast between Iran’s demonstrated leverage in the region and the U.S. assertion that it can sustain maritime traffic by maintaining operational access for tanker movements and related logistics. The reports do not provide independent confirmation in the excerpted text beyond the officials’ statements. The dispute reflects ongoing strategic tensions tied to regional security and global oil transit through the Strait of Hormuz.