Trump claims US has ‘total control’ over Strait of Hormuz.
The president offered no operational details explaining how the United States would enforce or maintain the claimed blockade.
- Donald Trump claimed on Truth Social that the US has “total control” over the Strait of Hormuz and said, “I THINK WE WILL KEEP IT!”
- He described the US naval blockade as a “wall of steel” and claimed Iran has no effective navy, air force or leadership.
- Trump asserted Iran is facing 300% inflation and has “no money”, calling it “the Bully of the Middle East No Longer”.
- Iran has rejected US claims of control, saying the strait remains blocked until the US naval blockade of Iranian ports ends.
- Shipping traffic through the strait has fallen sharply, with both sides hardening their positions in deadlocked negotiations over the waterway.
US President Donald Trump has declared that the United States has “total control” over the Strait of Hormuz and signalled that Washington intends to retain its hold over the strategic waterway. In a post on Truth Social on Wednesday, Trump described the US naval blockade in sweeping terms, calling it a “wall of steel” and saying there was “nothing Iran can do about it”.
“The U.S.A. has total control over the Strait of Hormuz. I THINK WE WILL KEEP IT!” Trump wrote. He did not provide operational details about the blockade, nor did he say how long the US expected to maintain control of the strait or set out the conditions under which the operation could end. The post marked another sharp escalation in Trump’s rhetoric against Tehran, portraying Iran’s military and political establishment as severely weakened.
“They have no Navy, they have no Air Force, their remaining soldiers are unpaid, the IRGC is decimated and fleeing, and their ‘Leadership’ is uncertain, at best!” he said. The president offered no evidence in the post to support those claims and did not identify the Iranian leaders whose positions he described as uncertain.
Economic claims and regional influence
He cited a lack of funds and rapidly rising prices as signs of the country’s deteriorating condition. he wrote. “Iran is all talk and no action, the Bully of the Middle East No Longer,” Trump said. He ended the message with the words: “Praise be to Allah! President DONALD J. TRUMP”.
Iran’s response and the reality on the water
There was no immediate Iranian response included in the material available at the time of the post. However, Iranian officials have repeatedly rejected US claims of control over the strait, insisting that the waterway remains effectively closed to normal commercial traffic as long as the US naval blockade of Iranian ports continues. Tehran has tied any full reopening of the strait to an end to the blockade and acceptance of its conditions for safe passage.
Shipping data and regional reports indicate that traffic through the strait has sunk to near three-month lows, with many vessels rerouting or anchoring outside the Persian Gulf amid heightened risk. The US military has said it is enforcing a blockade of ships entering or exiting Iranian ports, while Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has warned that vessels approaching the strait without its approval “will be targeted”.
Why the strait matters
The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and is a critical passage for international energy shipments. Any sustained military disruption in the waterway can affect oil supplies and shipping costs worldwide. Both the US and Iran have, at different times, claimed full or partial control over the strait, turning it into a focal point of the broader conflict.