Iran Rejects Trump Claim of US Control Over Strait of Hormuz
US and Iranian officials traded competing claims over control of the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday as the naval blockade and closure stemming from the February war continue amid ongoing Iran tensions, with Tehran asserting it will not allow safe passage without its approval while Washington maintains it can sustain the blockade indefinitely.
Competing Claims Over Strait of Hormuz Control
Iran’s Basij commander Hossein Taeb and military spokesperson Ebrahim Zolfaghari rejected President Trump’s assertion of US total control over the Strait of Hormuz, stating the waterway remains under Iranian management and no tankers can pass safely without Iranian armed forces’ permission [5]. The recently appointed head of Iran’s Basij paramilitary unit said the Strait of Hormuz is under Iran’s control and management [5]. Hossein Taeb told the semi-official Fars news agency that the US sought to disrupt the Islamic Republic’s popularity in the region by launching another war but had been defeated [5]. On state television Taeb added that today the Strait of Hormuz is under the management and control of the Islamic Republic and the country continues on its path in complete security [5]. Iran’s central military command spokesperson Ebrahim Zolfaghari said the false claims of the United States that ships are passing through the Strait of Hormuz normally are nothing more than lies and fabrications [5]. He added that no commercial ship or tanker will have the possibility of safe passage without the permission and supervision of the powerful Iranian armed forces [5]. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee denounced a siege by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank village of Qusra as a horrific act of terror [4]. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threatened Thursday to subject Iran to economic isolation like the world has never seen before, adding that new measures are expected next week [4].
Background on the US-Iran War and Strait Closure
The competing claims follow the breakdown of a ceasefire in the US-Iran war that began Feb. 28 with US-Israeli strikes [5]. Iran subsequently shut the strait, through which a fifth of global oil and LNG once shipped, and imposed fees on passage [5]. Following the conflict’s outbreak Tehran effectively shut the strait through which a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas previously shipped [5]. The US subsequently imposed a naval blockade on Iranian shipping and ports stating it would protect freedom of navigation for vessels travelling to non-Iranian ports [5]. In a Wednesday post on his Truth Social platform Trump claimed the US has total control over the Strait of Hormuz and added that the naval blockade is being called by everyone a wall of steel and there is nothing Iran can do about it [5]. Senior military official Rasoul Sanaei-Rad warned Iran would not reopen the strait unilaterally unless the US fulfilled its commitments [5]. Iran’s top diplomat Abbas Araghchi wrote on X Thursday that the US has long miscalculated due to intelligence failures pointing to its stance on the waterway as an even bigger miscalculation [5].
Iran's Military Posture and Long-War Strategy
An IRGC senior commander stated Iran can sustain a long war against the US until the end of Trump’s term to achieve deterrence through attrition amid reports of US ammunition pressure and declining troop morale [2]. IRGC senior commander Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqdi said the military of his country is able to wage a prolonged war against the United States even until the end of the term of President Donald Trump [2]. Naqdi expressed confidence in Tehran’s ability to sustain long-term confrontation in an interview with the American media PBS that was broadcast last Tuesday [2]. His statement came amid reports in American media about pressure on US ammunition stocks and declining morale of American troops deployed in the Middle East [2]. Naqdi told the American broadcaster that the goal of Tehran is to achieve deterrence so that the enemy never dares to attack us so that we can live safely [2]. One way is to prolong this war until the next presidential term and cause the opponent’s strength to be drained so that if another party wants to attack Iran they will know that there is a price to be paid [2]. Trump launched a 40-day bombing campaign against Iran at the end of February [2]. Despite losing a number of senior officials the government in Tehran retained control of the country and responded with attacks on US military facilities in the Gulf region while exerting economic pressure on Washington’s allies and global markets [2].
US Economic and Naval Pressure Tactics
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the US Navy can maintain the blockade indefinitely by rotating ships while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threatened Iran with economic isolation like the world has never seen before and new measures expected next week [5]. Despite Iran’s assertive stance US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth reinforced the president’s assertion on Thursday [5]. Indefinitely the United States Navy can maintain a blockade like that because we will rotate ships in and out as we have and we will continue to Hegseth told reporters in Panama [5]. US Democrats appear to be sharpening their attacks on President Donald Trump over the economic fallout from the Iran war as rising fuel and household costs become an increasingly potent issue ahead of November’s midterm elections [3].
Environmental Fallout and Regional Ripple Effects
Iran warned of environmental damage from an oil spill reaching Qeshm island and demanded compensation with preliminary evidence pointing to a foreign bulk carrier while a separate recent spill occurred near Oman [5]. Iran warned of environmental degradation in the strait after an oil spill reached its southern Qeshm island [5]. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said preliminary evidence pointed to a foreign bulk carrier arguing that countries benefiting from the strait had a legal and moral duty to help remedy the damage [5]. The spill comes after another slick in recent days near neighbouring Oman from a tanker that ran aground [5]. An AFP investigation previously found the ship had been stranded for weeks near Oman’s Al-Qibliyyah island after it was damaged by explosions [5]. Pakistan urged the UN Security Council on Thursday to protect international shipping and seafarers from deadly attacks and keep Yemen’s worsening humanitarian crisis at the forefront of its attention [5]. Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad condemned attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea Gulf of Aden and Bab-el-Mandeb Strait including an Aug 11 attack that killed three Pakistani crew members and one Indonesian [5]. The safety and security of international maritime shipping and protection of seafarers must be respected in accordance with international law Mr Ahmad stressed [5]. Pakistan also condemned Houthi missile and drone attacks against Saudi Arabia describing them as a grave threat to regional stability while expressing unwavering support for the Kingdom’s sovereignty [5]. The Pakistani envoy warned that Yemen’s acute humanitarian needs must not be overshadowed by the wider regional confrontation noting renewed fighting and economic disruption could aggravate an already fragile situation [5]. The Council held an open debate on Yemen as tensions triggered by the US-Iran war continued to ripple across the Middle East [5].
What to watch next: New US economic measures against Iran are expected next week while the UN Security Council continues to address attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and the humanitarian situation in Yemen.
