US President Donald Trump has claimed that the United States has gained “total control” of the Strait of Hormuz and suggested Washington intends to retain its grip on the strategically important waterway amid continuing tensions with Iran. In a post on Truth Social on Wednesday, Trump hailed the US naval blockade and described it as a formidable barrier that Tehran was incapable of challenging. “The U.S.A. has total control over the Strait of Hormuz. I think we will keep it!” Trump wrote, while referring to the American naval blockade as a “wall of steel”. He claimed there was little Iran could do to counter the US presence in the region.
Trump also made sweeping claims about the condition of Iran’s military, asserting that the country no longer had an effective navy or air force and that its soldiers were not being paid. He further claimed that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had been severely weakened. He concluded his post with the words, “Praise be to Allah!”
Trump has repeatedly asserted American control over the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important maritime passages for oil and other commodities. Iran, however, has strongly rejected Washington’s assertions over the waterway.
Tehran has said it will not agree to reopen the strait unless several conditions are met, including the removal of the US naval blockade, the lifting of sanctions, the unfreezing of Iranian assets and compensation for damage suffered during the war.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have maintained that their blockade will continue until Tehran's demands are accepted, describing the strait as a theatre of war rather than merely a shipping route.
The conflicting claims from Washington and Tehran come as commercial traffic through the crucial waterway remains severely disrupted. Ship-tracking data cited by the Wall Street Journal showed that only 14 vessels crossed on a recent day, compared with more than 130 a day before the war, raising questions about the practical extent of Washington's claimed control.
Despite the increasingly combative rhetoric, Trump has also indicated that some communication with Tehran is continuing.
Speaking about his administration's approach to negotiations, Trump said the US was keeping the process low-key and was only “semi-negotiating” with Iran. He also pointed to Iran's economic difficulties and expressed confidence that the confrontation would eventually be resolved, likening the situation to a chess game.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, however, has played down suggestions of formal negotiations, saying Tehran and Washington have only been exchanging messages through intermediaries.
The continuing disruption in the Strait of Hormuz has wider implications for global energy supplies and prices. The waterway remains a crucial passage connecting Gulf oil producers with international markets, making the confrontation between the US and Iran a significant concern for energy-importing economies worldwide.