Iran Announces Strait of Hormuz Closure on June 20; CENTCOM Reports 55 Ships Transit 17M Barrels

According to Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, Iran's military operational command announced on June 20 that it would close the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway handling 20% of global oil traffic, as a retaliatory measure after alleging the U.S. breached a ceasefire memorandum signed between President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

U.S. Central Command countered the same day, stating that 55 merchant ships successfully transited the Strait and moved over 17 million barrels of oil to global markets, with safe passage remaining intact. The announcement comes after Israeli Defense Forces launched extensive air strikes on Lebanon. Oil prices have fallen to $77 per barrel since ceasefire talks began, while Bitcoin climbed above $66,000 amid reduced geopolitical risk.