U.S. President Donald Trump on August 12 again insisted that the United States has 'total control' over the Strait of Hormuz, even as vessel traffic through the vital maritime artery has fallen to its lowest level in a week amid the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.
In a post on Truth Social on August 12, Trump repeated the claim he made to reporters a day earlier, as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict and fully reopen the strait have shown no progress.
'America has total control over the Strait of Hormuz. I THINK WE WILL KEEP IT!' Trump wrote.
He also asserted that the U.S. blockade of Iran's ports is 'being called by everyone THE STEEL WALL, and Iran can do nothing about it.'
'Iran is all talk and no action, the Middle East Bully is no more,' Trump added, ending the message with 'Praise Allah!'
Despite the statement, Iran continues to assert its influence over the Strait of Hormuz as it pursues talks with Oman on future management. Broader peace negotiations with the United States have largely stalled, while the Iran-Oman talks, which do not involve Washington, are ongoing.
Iran has said it will not allow full passage through the strait until the U.S. naval blockade is lifted, sanctions are removed, and its assets are unfrozen.
Although ships can still transit the strait, they face numerous obstacles and heightened threats, causing a sharp decline in traffic.
According to Reuters, only eight vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, far below the 130-140 ships before the war. That figure is down from a daily average of about 12 ships over the previous 10 days, based on data from trade analytics platform Kpler.
The U.S. and Israel launched their war with Iran on February 28. Washington and Tehran signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in June to end the conflict, but the deal collapsed in mid-July as both sides resumed attacks.
Recent fighting between the U.S.-Israeli forces and Iran has been largely sporadic, including a U.S. Navy helicopter striking a Panama-flagged cargo ship on Tuesday.
Yemen's Houthi forces have also opened a new front in the war, with attacks on shipping in the Bab al-Mandab strait. Six people were killed in a Houthi attack on an Egyptian-owned vessel on Tuesday, marking the first fatalities from such attacks.
