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Trump vs Iran on Hormuz
President Donald Trump said the United States has “total control” of the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran’s Basij paramilitary head Hossein Taeb told Fars that the strait is “under the management and control of the Islamic Republic.”
““Today you see that the Strait of Hormuz is under the management and control of the Islamic Republic,” Taeb said”
Reuters reported that after U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, Tehran effectively shut the strait, and the U.S. imposed a naval blockade on Iranian shipping and ports while saying it would protect freedom of navigation for vessels travelling to and from non-Iranian ports.
CNN said global oil stockpiles are rapidly diminishing as traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively stalled, and it cited Carl Schuster saying “few merchant shipping companies and their ships are confident that the US can ensure their safe transit of the strait.”
CNN also reported that only 14 vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday compared with roughly 120 ships that used to cross daily before the war, and it said UKMTO recorded 54 reports of damage to vessels in the strait, the Persian Gulf, and the Gulf of Oman since the war began.
In Dubai, Reuters added that Iran would not reopen the Strait unless the other side fulfilled its commitments under the June interim agreement, and Rasoul Sanaei-Rad warned: “In a possible future war, we will stand more firmly and more offensively.”
Threats, conditions, and traffic
Iran’s position was framed as conditional and retaliatory, with Reuters reporting that Rasoul Sanaei-Rad said Iran would not reopen the Strait unless commitments under the interim deal were fulfilled and that reopening was not something the U.S. can achieve unilaterally.
The Independent reported that Mohammad Reza Naghdi, a senior adviser to the commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, told PBS: “We have to attain deterrence so that the enemy never dares to attack us, so we can live with security,” linking the idea of prolonging the war to sending a message about lasting consequences.
Al Jazeera said Trump doubled down on his claim of “total control” in a Truth Social post, quoting him: “The U.S.A. has total control over the Strait of Hormuz. I THINK WE WILL KEEP IT!”
Al Jazeera also reported that Reuters counted just eight ships transited through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, far below the 130 to 140 ships pre-war rate, and it said Kpler data put the previous ten-day average at about 12 ships.
CBS News added that Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on X that “The U.S. has long miscalculated due to intelligence failures. Case in point: The war on Iran,” and it said Tehran responded that the water is “under Iran's control and management.”
What’s at risk next
The dispute over Hormuz is tied to shipping safety and economic pressure, with CNN saying ships fear for their safety amid attacks on vessels and that UKMTO recorded 54 reports of damage to vessels in the strait, the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
“At least four vessels belonging to the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company were attacked by drones and missiles”
CNN also said at least four vessels belonging to the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company were attacked by drones and missiles in the strait last week alone, and it described how those attacks drive up insurance costs and further deter shipping companies.
Reuters reported that the June interim agreement called for a permanent ceasefire and a swift return to freedom of navigation in the Gulf, but it said the deal unraveled after Iran resumed limited attacks on vessels that it said were sailing contrary to the arrangements.
Al Jazeera said Iran would not allow full traffic in the strait until the U.S. naval blockade is lifted, sanctions are lifted, and its assets are unfrozen, while noting that ships can still transit but face heightened threats.
In the same reporting thread, CBS News said Iran appeared to demand compensation for an oil spill in the Strait of Hormuz, quoting Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei asking: “Who bears responsibility for compensating these damages?” and adding that “preliminary evidence indicates a foreign bulk carrier as the source.”
