Trump has claimed the US has “total control” of the Strait of Hormuz, calling the American naval presence a “wall of steel.”
Iran has rejected Washington’s claim, insisting Tehran controls the strategic waterway and warning that US and Israeli vessels could be barred from passage.
Iran and Oman are discussing an alternative route, but Tehran says creating another route would not automatically reopen Hormuz without broader US concessions.
‘Total Control’ Or Tehran’s Strait? Trump And Iran Clash Over Hormuz Again
A fresh US-Iran confrontation is brewing over the Strait of Hormuz, with Donald Trump claiming Washington has “total control” of the key waterway while Tehran insists it remains under Iranian control
PICRYL
Summary
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Iran has rejected US President Donald Trump’s claim that Washington has established control over the Strait of Hormuz, with a senior Iranian official insisting that Tehran continues to manage the strategic waterway.
Hossein Taeb, head of Iran’s paramilitary Basij forces affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said on Iranian state television that the strait remained under the control of the Islamic Republic.
“Today, you see that the Strait of Hormuz is under the management and control of the Islamic Republic, and our country continues on its path in complete security,” Taeb said.
His comments came a day after Trump claimed that the US had secured control of the crucial maritime passage, through which a significant share of global oil supplies traditionally moves.
Trump Claims ‘Total Control’
Trump wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday that the US had “total control” over the Strait of Hormuz and suggested Washington intended to maintain its hold over the waterway.
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“Our Naval Blockade is being called, by everyone, ‘A WALL OF STEEL,’ and there is nothing Iran can do about it,” Trump said.
The conflicting claims underscore the continuing confrontation between Washington and Tehran over access to the strategically vital passage.
Iran has repeatedly rejected US assertions of control and has maintained that it retains effective authority over the strait. Tehran has also threatened to introduce a toll system for vessels using the waterway.
Tehran Accuses Washington Of Miscalculation
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also criticised Washington’s position, accusing the US of repeatedly misjudging Iran.
“The U.S. has long miscalculated due to intelligence failures. Case in point: the war on Iran. Now, an even bigger miscalculation on the Strait of Hormuz,” Araghchi said in a post on X.
Iranian lawmakers have separately indicated that restrictions could specifically affect American and Israeli vessels.
Behnam Saeedi, a member of Iran’s parliament and its National Security Commission, said ships belonging to Israel would not be permitted to pass through the strait, regardless of whether conditions were wartime or peacetime.
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He added that US military vessels would also be denied passage.
Iran, Oman Explore Alternative Route
Meanwhile, Iran and Oman are discussing the possibility of establishing an alternative maritime route through the Strait of Hormuz, although no agreement has been finalised.
Tehran has stressed that the creation of an alternative route would not necessarily mean the immediate reopening of the waterway.
Iran has said the US would first need to meet its broader demands before the strait could be fully reopened, keeping Hormuz at the heart of the escalating confrontation between the two countries.