U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the United States has “total control” over the Strait of Hormuz and suggested Washington would maintain its position in the strategic waterway, as shipping traffic fell sharply amid the continuing US-Israel war with Iran.
Trump's assertion came as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict remained stalled and Tehran continued to set conditions for fully restoring traffic through the strait.
“The U.S.A. has total control over the Strait of Hormuz. I THINK WE WILL KEEP IT!” Trump wrote on Truth Social, describing the American naval blockade as a “wall of steel” and saying there was nothing Iran could do about it.
He also said Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had been decimated and described the Iranian economy as collapsing.
Despite Trump's claims, Iran has continued to assert influence over the strait while pursuing talks with Oman over its future management.
Those discussions do not include Washington, while broader negotiations between the United States and Iran have largely paused.
Iran has said it will not permit full traffic through the waterway until the US naval blockade and sanctions are lifted and its frozen assets are released.
Ships remain able to transit the strait, but heightened threats and other obstacles have driven traffic significantly lower.
Only eight vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, compared with 130 to 140 before the war, according to Reuters.
The figure was also below the previous 10-day average of about 12 vessels, based on Kpler data.
The United States and Israel launched the war with Iran on February 28.
Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding in June aimed at ending the conflict and began negotiations toward a final agreement.
The arrangement dissolved in mid-July as attacks resumed, while subsequent talks stalled amid disagreements over security guarantees and freedom of navigation through the strait.
Fighting has been more sporadic in recent days, but tensions have expanded beyond Hormuz.
Yemen-based Houthis have also attacked vessels in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, opening another maritime front.
A Houthi attack on an Egyptian-owned vessel Tuesday killed six people, marking the first deaths from such an attack.