Tehran says the strategic waterway remains blocked despite Trump declaring U.S. control and suggesting Washington may “keep” it
BY SCN NEWS DESK
TEHRAN — Iran on Wednesday rejected President Donald Trump’s declaration that the United States has “total control” of the Strait of Hormuz, directly challenging the White House’s account of who controls one of the world’s most important energy corridors as negotiations struggle to produce a breakthrough.
Trump declared on Truth Social that the United States had established control over the strategic waterway following months of military confrontation with Iran.
“The U.S.A. has total control over the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump wrote, before adding that he believed the United States would “KEEP IT.”
The president also portrayed the U.S. naval presence around the strait as a “wall of steel,” presenting Washington as having established military dominance over the passage.
Tehran quickly disputed that claim.
Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority said repeated statements from U.S. officials did not change conditions on the ground and insisted that the Strait of Hormuz remained blocked.
The Iranian authority said Tehran would not reopen the passage until its conditions were accepted.
The competing declarations highlight a central problem in the continuing U.S.-Iran confrontation: military presence and effective control of commercial shipping are not necessarily the same thing.
The United States has deployed substantial military power around the region and has sought to protect vessels moving through the strait.
But commercial traffic remains dramatically below normal levels.
Shipping data cited by Reuters showed only six vessels transited the strait on Monday, compared with a 10-day average of roughly 11. Before the conflict, traffic through the strategic passage was far heavier.
That disruption matters far beyond Iran and the United States.
The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea and is one of the most consequential maritime chokepoints for global energy supplies. Prolonged instability there can affect oil prices, shipping costs, insurance premiums and economies thousands of miles from the conflict.
The latest war of words also comes as diplomatic efforts remain uncertain.
Pakistan, Qatar and Oman have been involved in efforts aimed at narrowing differences between Washington and Tehran, with recent negotiations focusing heavily on arrangements governing Hormuz and broader steps toward reducing hostilities.
But signs of progress have repeatedly collided with sharply contradictory statements from Washington and Tehran.
A senior Iranian source told Reuters on Wednesday that there had been no progress toward reviving an interim peace arrangement with the United States, underscoring how far apart the two governments remain despite continuing mediation efforts.
Hormuz itself is one of the biggest obstacles.
Washington wants commercial shipping to move freely through the international waterway.
Tehran has sought concessions tied to sanctions and other U.S. actions before fully reopening it.
Trump’s suggestion that America might now “keep” control of the strait adds another layer of uncertainty to those negotiations.
It also raises questions about what permanent U.S. control would mean in practical or legal terms. The Strait of Hormuz runs between Iran and Oman and serves as an international navigation route; Washington has not publicly outlined a framework under which the United States could permanently assume control of it.
For now, the most important reality may be visible in the shipping data rather than the competing political declarations.
The United States says it controls Hormuz.
Iran says it remains blocked.
And many commercial ships are still staying away.