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Blockade, counterclaims
The United States said it can keep a naval blockade on Iranian ports indefinitely, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth telling reporters, "Indefinitely, the United States Navy can maintain a blockade like that because we'll rotate ships in and out, as we have, and we'll continue to," while Iran rejected U.S. claims that vessels are transiting the Strait of Hormuz normally.
“"Indefinitely, the United States Navy can maintain a blockade like that because we'll rotate ships in and out, as we have, and we'll continue to,"”
Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters spokesperson Ebrahim Zolfghari said the strait remained under Iran’s “full management and control,” adding, "No commercial vessel or oil tanker can or will have safe passage through the Strait without the permission and supervision of Iran’s powerful Armed Forces," according to Iranian state media.
The dispute is playing out against a backdrop of U.S.-Iran hostility over the waterway, with CNN Arabic reporting that Iran said the Strait of Hormuz “remains closed” and “will not be opened except after Iran’s conditions are accepted.”
In parallel, the BBC reported that Tehran emphasized its control over the Strait of Hormuz as Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin discussed the U.S. military’s ability to impose a blockade on Iranian ports as long as needed.
The BBC also quoted Deputy Hussain Taib, the recently appointed commander of the Basij paramilitary force, saying the Hormuz Strait is "under Iran’s control and management" after Trump stated the United States has "full control" of the strategic waterway.
Trump’s posts, Iranian replies
U.S. President Donald Trump used Truth Social to assert that the United States has “total control” over the Strait of Hormuz and said, "I THINK WE WILL KEEP IT!" while also describing the blockade as “A WALL OF STEEL.”
CNN Arabic reported that Iran responded to American officials announcing the strait is open by confirming it will not be opened except after Iran’s conditions are accepted, citing a statement that "the Strait of Hormuz remains closed and will not be opened until they agree to Iran’s terms," according to Tasmin news agency.
The Express Tribune also carried Iranian state-media messaging that no ship can pass safely through the Strait without Iran’s permission and supervision, attributing the position to Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters spokesperson Ebrahim Zolfghari.
In the same dispute, the BBC quoted Ibrahim Doqari, spokesman for the Headquarters of the Prophet Muhammad (the Iranian Central Command), saying, "the Hormuz Strait is under the full administration and control of the Islamic Republic, and any commercial ship or oil tanker cannot safely navigate this strait without licensing and oversight".
Euronews described the standoff as Trump arguing the blockade is a “steel wall,” while Iran denied U.S. control and said reopening “will not happen before Tehran accepts its terms.”
Shipping impact and next steps
The conflict has translated into sharply limited movement through the Strait of Hormuz, with Bloomberg’s “Hormuz Observatory” reporting that shipping activity fell to 10 ships on August 12 from 14 the day before.
“Shipping activity fell to 10 ships on August 12, from 14 the day before”
Bloomberg’s account also said the crossing included the crude oil tanker SEA V, registered in Hong Kong and operated by a Chinese company, with a deadweight tonnage of 317,788 tons, alongside bulk carriers and a container ship and smaller regional vessels.
In parallel, the BBC described how the temporary ceasefire agreement reached in June called for a rapid restoration of freedom of navigation in the Gulf, but it collapsed after a few weeks when Iran carried out limited attacks on ships it said had sailed in violation of the agreement.
The BBC further reported that Rassoul Sanaei Rad warned Iran will not reopen the Strait unless the other side fulfills its obligations under the temporary agreement, adding, "We will take a firmer and stricter stance in any potential war in the future."
Meanwhile, the Express Tribune reported that Iran’s Brigadier General Rasoul Sanaei-Rad said Iran will act more aggressively in a possible future war, quoting him: "We stood firm in the recent war and, God willing, we will stand firmer and more aggressively in a possible future war,".
