The US Central Command has rejected an Iranian claim that a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz was hit by sea mines. CENTCOM said the vessel had not been struck by a naval mine and described the Iranian assertion as false. The command reported that the international shipping corridor had been cleared of mines and that the strait remained open. According to CENTCOM, 95 percent of vessels attempting to pass through the strait were doing so successfully. The competing accounts carry weight because the strait is a major route for Gulf oil and gas shipments. Shipping companies must decide whether the reported risk justifies changes in routes and insurance costs.