Strait of Hormuz Won't Close, American Fleet Says

America won't allow Iran to shut the Strait of Hormuz, through which the bulk of Middle East oil is shipped, a spokesman for the Fifth Fleet said.

"They will not close it," Lieutenant Nate Christensen said in a telephone interview yesterday from Bahrain, where the fleet is based. "The Strait of Hormuz is vital international waters." Vice Admiral Kevin Cosgriff, Fifth Fleet commander, made similar remarks to reporters in Bahrain yesterday, Mr. Christensen said.

The narrow waterway between Iran and Oman at the mouth of the Persian Gulf handles the shipment of about 20%of the world's daily supply of oil, according to figures from the American government's Energy Information Administration.

The oil's main destinations include America, Western Europe, and Japan.

The fleet's comments are in response to remarks by the head of Iran's Revolutionary Guard two days ago that his country may close the strait if attacked by Israel.

"Naturally, every country under attack by an enemy uses all its capacity and opportunities to confront the enemy," Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari told the Iranian Jame Jam newspaper on June 28, according to the state-run Fars News agency.

"Regarding the main route for exiting energy, Iran will definitely act to impose control on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz," he said.

Crude oil was little changed after rising to a record above $143 a barrel. Crude for August delivery fell 2 cents to $140.19 a barrel at 2:37 p.m. on the New York Mercantile Exchange after rising to a record $143.67. The price has risen 38% in the quarter, the biggest quarterly increase in nine years.