Washington, Oct. 17 -- The US military has claimed that 97 per cent of vessels seeking to transit the Strait of Hormuz have passed through safely without being hit by Iranian projectiles, asserting that the strategic shipping route remains open despite attacks on commercial vessels.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) Spokesperson Navy Captain Tim Hawkins told Fox News Digital that coordinated naval protection efforts had helped thousands of commercial ships safely navigate the vital maritime corridor, even following the recent loss of a container ship in the regional waterway.

The official comments follow confirmation from CENTCOM that the GFS Pride, a Singapore-flagged container ship owned by a Cyprus-based entity, was struck by an Iranian p...