French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters Thursday that the Strait of Hormuz remains basically blocked. He stated that an agreement between Iran and the United States to enable the reopening of the waterway appears unlikely in the short term, noting that transit through the strait has degraded over the last few weeks.

The French leader's assessment conflicts with statements from U.S. Central Command that the primary shipping lanes are open and clear of mines. A CENTCOM spokesperson reported that U.S. forces facilitated the passage of 900 million barrels of crude oil since early May and redirected 103 commercial vessels to enforce a maritime blockade as of Sept. 15, while Iranian officials vowed to keep the strait closed.