U.S. President Donald Trump said that the United States controls the strategic Strait of Hormuz and plans to maintain that control.
“The USA has total control over the Strait of Hormuz. I THINK WE WILL KEEP IT!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. He also said the U.S. naval blockade was being described as a “WALL OF STEEL” and claimed Iran could not do anything about it.
Trump has repeatedly said the United States controls the strait, an important waterway for the transportation of energy and other goods through the Middle East.
Iran, however, says it controls much of the waterway and plans to introduce a toll system in response to the war launched by Trump on Feb. 28.
Late Tuesday, Trump told reporters that the United States had “total control” of the Strait of Hormuz, adding, “We own it.”
U.S. and Israeli forces have carried out heavy attacks on Iranian military targets and killed several members of the country’s leadership during the nearly six-month war. The conflict initially began with goals that included forcing Tehran to abandon its nuclear program and pursuing regime change.
Iran has responded with missile attacks on U.S. bases in the region, Israel and targets in U.S.-allied Gulf countries.
Iran’s strongest response has been attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting the important trade route and raising concerns about the global economy.
As Trump’s political popularity declines at home ahead of the November midterm congressional elections, he has stepped back from threats to further escalate the war in an attempt to secure a decisive victory.
The conflict has instead reached a standoff.
However, Trump has said the United States is prepared to focus on blockading Iranian ports as part of a strategy he described to Axios as “low-keying.”
“We are only semi-negotiating with them. We are just watching Iran with its huge inflation and the fact they have no money,” Trump told Axios on Sunday.
