Iran Tensions Persist With Trump Declaring US Ownership of Key Strait
Amid ongoing Iran tensions, U.S. President Donald Trump stated on August 12, 2026, that the United States has total control over the Strait of Hormuz and intends to keep it, describing the U.S. naval blockade as a "wall of steel" amid the ongoing war with Iran that has closed the vital shipping route. [1] Trump made the remarks in a Truth Social post while negotiations between Iran and Oman over shipping lanes in the strait were reported to be progressing. [1]
Trump Declares Total U.S. Control of Strait of Hormuz
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the United States has "total" control over the Strait of Hormuz and will "keep it," as uncertainty continues over when and whether the waterway will fully reopen amid Tehran's calls for Washington to meet its demands. [1] Trump made the remarks in a social media post amid reports of progress in negotiations between Iran and Oman over shipping lanes in the strait, a crucial route for shipments of oil, natural gas, fertilizer and other commodities that the Islamic Republic effectively closed during the Middle East war. [1] "The U.S.A. has total control over the Strait of Hormuz. I THINK WE WILL KEEP IT! Our Naval Blockade is being called, by everyone, 'A WALL OF STEEL,' and there is nothing Iran can do about it," Trump wrote on Truth Social. [1] "They have no Navy, they have no Air Force, their remaining soldiers are unpaid, the IRGC is decimated and fleeing, and their 'Leadership' is uncertain, at best!" he added. [1] He went on to say, "They have No Money -- Their country is 'shot.' All they have is FAKE NEWS and 300 percent INFLATION, and getting worse! Iran is all talk and no action, the Bully of the Middle East No Longer." [1] Trump has repeatedly claimed the US controls the strait, which is vital for the flow of energy and other commodity shipping through the Middle East. [3] Late on Tuesday, Trump told reporters: "We have total control over the Hormuz Strait right now. They don't have control. We have total control. We own it." [3] "Look, the only one that has control of the Strait of Hormuz right now is the United States Navy," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. "We've mine-swept the entire strait." [4]
Iran's Position on Reopening the Waterway
Despite the talks with Oman over the strait, Tehran has reportedly said that the strait would remain closed until Washington agreed to its demands, including war reparations, the lifting of a U.S. naval blockade and the withdrawal of U.S. forces around Iran. [1] However, Iran says it effectively controls much of the waterway and intends to impose a toll system in response to the US war launched by Trump on Feb 28. [3]
State of Iranian Military and Economy
Trump described Iran's military as decimated, with no navy or air force, unpaid soldiers, a fleeing IRGC, uncertain leadership, no money, 300 percent inflation, and characterized the country as "all talk and no action, the Bully of the Middle East No Longer." [1] "They have no Navy, they have no Air Force, their remaining soldiers are unpaid, the IRGC is decimated and fleeing, and their 'Leadership' is uncertain, at best!" Trump wrote. [4] "They have No Money - Their country is “shot.” All they have is FAKE NEWS and 300% INFLATION, and getting worse! Iran is all talk and no action, the Bully of the Middle East No Longer." [4] Iran fears economic sanctions more than military strikes, Trump's UN envoy says. [4] One US official told Axios that during active warfare, Tehran can temporarily avoid dealing with the economic consequences of the fighting. [4]
Background on the Six-Month U.S.-Iran War
The nearly six-month war, launched by the U.S. on February 28 with goals of forcing Iran to abandon its nuclear program and achieving regime change, has involved heavy U.S. and Israeli bombing of Iranian military targets and leadership, Iranian missile attacks, and strikes on shipping in the strait that have driven up global energy prices. [3] US and Israeli forces have heavily bombed Iran's military and killed a swath of the country's leadership so far in the nearly six-month war, launched initially with goals including forcing Tehran to abandon its nuclear power programme and regime change. [3] Iran has resisted with missile attacks on US bases in the region, Israel and targets in US-allied Gulf countries. [3] Its most effective response has been to strike shipping in Hormuz, effectively snarling the trade route, rattling the world economy. [3] With his political popularity sinking at home ahead of the November midterm congressional elections, Trump has backed off threats to escalate the war in search of a decisive victory. [3] That leaves the war in a standoff. [3]
Impact on Global Shipping and Energy Markets
Shipping traffic through the strait has fallen sharply from pre-war levels of 130-140 vessels per day to about six on recent days. [4] Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell to six that day, compared with a 10-day average of about 11 vessels, shipping data showed, amid fading hopes of a peace deal between the US and Iran. [4] Four commodity vessels, including two empty oil product tankers, entered the waterway, data from Kpler showed on Tuesday. [4] Two vessels - a small tanker laden with liquefied petroleum gas and another carrying residual fuels - exited the Strait, the data showed. [4] In pre-war days, about 130 to 140 ships typically transited the strait. [4] South Korea and other countries have hoped for the full reopening of the strait as they rely heavily on the waterway for energy imports. [1] Disruptions to shipping in the strait have driven up global energy prices and affected the world economy. [1]
Trump's Strategy and Economic Pressure Approach
Trump has backed off escalation threats ahead of U.S. midterm elections, shifting to a 'low-key' strategy of blockading Iranian ports while semi-negotiating and monitoring Iran's economic collapse. [3] However, the Republican says that the US is prepared to focus on blockading Iranian ports in a strategy that he told Axios was "low-keying". [3] "We are only semi-negotiating with them. We are just watching Iran with its huge inflation and the fact they have no money," Trump told Axios on Sunday. [3] Trump also emphasized the economic pressure on Iran in a phone call with Axios on Sunday. [4] "We are only semi-negotiating with them. We are just watching Iran with its huge inflation and the fact they have no money," he stated. [4]
What to watch next: Reports indicate negotiations between Iran and Oman over shipping lanes continue amid Tehran's stated conditions for reopening the strait, while shipping data shows traffic remaining far below pre-war volumes.
