US President Donald Trump has claimed that the United States has full control of the strategic Strait of Hormuz and said his administration intends to maintain that control.
Trump made the statement on Wednesday in a post on his Truth Social platform, where he said the US naval blockade had become what he described as a “wall of steel” that Iran could not overcome.
The Strait of Hormuz is a crucial waterway for the movement of energy and other commodities from the Middle East. While Trump has repeatedly insisted that the US controls the strait, Iran maintains that it effectively controls much of the waterway and has threatened to introduce a toll system in response to the US military campaign.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Trump again insisted that the United States had complete control of the strait, saying Iran no longer had control over the important shipping route.
The conflict between the US, Israel and Iran has continued for nearly six months. US and Israeli forces have carried out extensive attacks on Iranian military targets and killed several senior members of the country’s leadership.
Iran, in response, has launched missile attacks against US bases in the region, Israel and targets in Gulf countries allied with Washington.
One of Iran’s most effective responses has been attacks on shipping around the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting the major trade route and raising concerns about the impact on the global economy.
With Trump facing declining political support at home ahead of the November midterm elections, he has appeared less willing to escalate the conflict in pursuit of a decisive military victory.
The situation has therefore remained largely at a standoff.
Trump has, however, indicated that the United States could concentrate on blockading Iranian ports. He described the strategy in an interview with Axios as a low-key approach.
“We are only semi-negotiating with them. We are just watching Iran with its huge inflation and the fact they have no money,” Trump said on Sunday.
