Iran navy stresses full control of Strait of Hormuz, US rejects claims

The Iranian Army's Navy stressed full control and dominance over the eastern waters of the Strait of Hormuz, while the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) rejected the Iranian claims.

In a statement released on the army's website, the navy announced that its forces have full control and dominance over the strait's eastern waters.

In a post on social media, the CENTCOM dismissed Iran's claims of its control over the Strait, saying that the United States and its regional partners control the Strait of Hormuz.

The CENTCOM also said a Singapore-registered container vessel was hit by a projectile of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC). The vessel sank while being towed to shore. It said more than 40 commercial ships continue to flow through the Strait of Hormuz in the last 24 hours despite the attack.

The United States also denied the Iranian claim that hundreds of U.S. service members were killed in Jordan.

"Three American service members were killed in action in July as partner forces defended against Iranian attacks," said the CENTCOM in the post.

Iran navy stresses full control of Strait of Hormuz, US rejects claims

Iran navy stresses full control of Strait of Hormuz, US rejects claims

Iran navy stresses full control of Strait of Hormuz, US rejects claims

Iran navy stresses full control of Strait of Hormuz, US rejects claims

Ebola infections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) have rebounded after a brief decline, while the virus's spread to other African countries is complicating efforts to contain the outbreak that has already claimed more than 4,600 lives, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned in its latest situation report Wednesday.

"The most recent seven-day moving average indicates a modest upward trend, suggesting renewed intensification of transmission," the WHO Regional Office for Africa said in the report, highlighting the outbreak's "widening international dimension and the growing complexity."

The DR Congo recorded 1,466 confirmed cases between Sept 29 and Oct 19, up 10.4 percent from the preceding 21-day period, while confirmed deaths rose 7.5 percent to 692, according to the report.

As of Oct 19, the DR Congo had recorded 9,637 confirmed cases and 4,646 deaths across eight of its 26 provinces.

Meanwhile, the outbreak's international spread has added a new layer of complexity to containment efforts.

Kenya has reported nine confirmed cases, including one death, with all eight secondary infections linked to an imported case and detected among people already under quarantine, according to the WHO report.

Nigeria confirmed its first case on Tuesday, involving a woman who had traveled from Uganda earlier this month. The WHO warned that the prolonged interval between symptom onset and laboratory confirmation raised concerns about "potentially undetected exposures and secondary transmission."

The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned Tuesday that the outbreak had become the most geographically widespread Ebola epidemic on record, with infections reported across Central, Eastern and Western Africa.

In its latest assessment, the WHO said the outbreak remained "at a critical juncture," warning that escalating insecurity, population displacement and restricted humanitarian access in the DR Congo were "further challenging response operations and increasing the risk of undetected transmission."

Ebola outbreak rebounds in DR Congo as cross-border spread heightens concerns: WHO