United States and Iran Trade Conflicting Claims Over Control of Strait of Hormuz

The United States and Iran are making competing claims regarding the control of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway that previously carried 20 percent of the world's oil. U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Truth Social and to reporters that the United States has total control over the strait, describing the U.S. naval blockade as a wall of steel. He asserted that the U.S. is in a very good position and that Iranian military capabilities have been decimated by U.S. attacks since February.

Iranian officials have rejected these claims as lies and fabrications. Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesperson for Iran's central military command, stated that the strait remains under the complete management and control of the Islamic Republic. He added that no commercial ship can pass safely without Iranian permission and supervision. Other Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Basij paramilitary head Hossein Taeb, echoed these sentiments, with Araghchi describing the U.S. position as a major intelligence miscalculation.

Maritime data and expert analysis suggest a complex reality. According to the monitoring platform Kpler, traffic has dropped from roughly 120 ships daily before the war to about 14 ships in recent days. While the U.S. maintains a naval blockade on Iranian ports, experts cited by CNN suggest that neither side exercises full control. They point to ongoing drone and missile attacks on vessels, such as those belonging to the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, as evidence that safe transit is not guaranteed.

Iran has conditioned the reopening of the strait on several demands, including the end of the war, the lifting of port blockades, and the release of frozen assets. Some reports indicate Iran also seeks a ceasefire that includes Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, the U.S. continues to maintain its blockade while claiming to protect freedom of navigation for non Iranian vessels.