‘Strait of Hormuz remains blocked,’ Iran says after Trump remarks

Iran on Wednesday rejected US President Donald Trump’s statement that the United States controls the Strait of Hormuz, insisting that the crucial shipping route remains blocked.

Repeated statements and social media posts by US officials about lifting the blockade did not change the situation on the ground, Iran’s new authority for the strait, the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA), said on X.

“The Strait of Hormuz remains blocked and will not be reopened until Iran’s conditions are accepted,” the authority said.

Trump has repeatedly said that the US has “total control” of the waterway.

“We totally control the Strait of Hormuz. We have control over it; nobody else, only us,” he told reporters on Tuesday evening.

The dispute over transit rights in the strait, a key international route for oil, gas and fertilizer, is considered one of the main triggers for the recent escalation in the military conflict between Washington and Tehran.

Before the US and Israel began attacking Iran on February 28, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz was largely undisturbed.

After the war began, Iran brought shipping traffic to a virtual standstill through attacks on ships and threats. As a result, prices for oil and gas soared, prompting inflation to surge around the world.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said commercial shipping remained at reduced levels in the strait.

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) attacks, attempted attacks, and “harassment activity” persisted in the area, the UKMTO said.

“These actions continue to demonstrate Iran’s intent to assert presence along key transit lanes and maintain pressure on transiting vessels.”