U.S. President Donald Trump claimed the U.S. Navy has “100 percent” control of the Strait of Hormuz, as tensions remain high over the strategic waterway and Iran’s demands for its reopening. Trump said the strait is effectively open under U.S. control, while describing the naval blockade against Iran as a “steel wall” and saying U.S. forces have cleared mines from the waterway.
The U.S. Central Command said more than 20 U.S. warships are deployed in the Middle East to support military operations and enforce the blockade. According to CENTCOM, U.S. forces have forced dozens of merchant vessels to change course, while shipping data showed traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained significantly reduced.
Iran, meanwhile, said the waterway will not fully reopen unless Washington meets a series of conditions, including ending the war, lifting the naval blockade, compensating Iran for war damages, removing sanctions and releasing frozen or seized Iranian assets. The standoff threatens to further disrupt one of the world’s most important shipping routes for oil and other commodities.
