Iran Rejects Trump’s Strait of Hormuz Claim, Says Waterway Remains Under Its Control

Iran has rejected US President Donald Trump’s claim that Washington has taken control of the Strait of Hormuz, insisting that the strategic waterway remains under Iranian management.

The dispute over the strait escalated on Thursday after a senior Iranian official declared that Iran continues to exercise control over the crucial maritime passage, which is vital to global energy supplies.

Hossein Taeb, head of Iran’s paramilitary Basij forces affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said the waterway remained secure and under the management of the Islamic Republic.

“Today, you see that the Strait of Hormuz is under the management and control of the Islamic Republic,” Taeb said, according to Iranian state television.

His comments came a day after Trump claimed that the United States had established control over the strait.

“The U.S.A. has total control over the Strait of Hormuz. I THINK WE WILL KEEP IT!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

He also described the US naval blockade as a “wall of steel”, claiming Iran was unable to challenge it.

Iran Accuses US of Miscalculation

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected Trump’s assertion, accusing Washington of repeatedly making strategic miscalculations over Iran.

Araghchi said intelligence failures had contributed to previous US miscalculations, including the conflict involving Iran, and warned that the Strait of Hormuz represented another example.

Iran has previously maintained that it effectively controls the waterway and has indicated plans to introduce a toll system.

US and Israeli Ships Barred

Iranian lawmaker Behnam Saeedi, a member of the parliament’s National Security Commission, said Iranian authorities would prevent US and Israeli vessels from passing through the strait.

Saeedi told Iranian state television that ships linked to Israel would not be permitted to use the waterway “under any circumstances”, whether during wartime or peacetime.

He added that US military vessels would also be denied passage.

The statements further raise concerns about the future of one of the world’s most strategically important shipping routes.

Iran and Oman Discuss Alternative Route

Meanwhile, Iran and Oman have been holding discussions over the possibility of establishing a new route through the Strait of Hormuz.

However, negotiations have yet to produce a final agreement.

Tehran has also made clear that the creation of an alternative route would not automatically result in the reopening of the waterway.

Iran insists that the United States must first meet its demands before the strait can be fully reopened.

The continuing standoff has heightened uncertainty around the movement of ships and energy supplies through the region, with developments around the Strait of Hormuz being closely watched by international markets and governments.