President Donald Trump declared once again on Wednesday that the U.S. military had “total control” over the Strait of Hormuz and floated the possibility the United States could retain control of the key waterway.
“The U.S.A. has total control over the Strait of Hormuz,” he said on Truth Social on Wednesday morning. “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.”
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The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway connecting the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, and Iran has the largest coastline along the strait, giving it key proximity to it. Prior to the start of the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran, roughly 20% of the world’s gas flowed through the strait, though traffic has significantly decreased since the conflict began.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Tuesday that oil leaving the Arabian Gulf region has surpassed pre-war levels and that nearly 9 million barrels per day of crude oil is flowing out of the Strait of Hormuz alone, but his estimates contradict those made by major tanker traffic trackers and energy analysts.
Iran has demanded that it be allowed to charge to allow ships to sail through the waterway, and Oman, which has some coastline along the strait as well, has expressed a similar openness. The two sides have held talks about the strait. Esmail Baghaei, spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, said at a news conference on Monday that the focus of the talks with Oman was “on reaching an understanding over a route for the safe passage of shipping,” Iranian state media reported.
The International Energy Agency warned on Wednesday that the reopening of the vital waterway is becoming more urgent, as the world goes through its oil stockpiles rapidly.
To counter the Iranian threats, the U.S. Navy has imposed a counter-blockade of Iranian ports, which it resumed last month. On Tuesday, U.S. forces fired two Hellfire missiles into the M/V Vela Nova’s engine room after the ship’s civilian crew ignored repeated warnings from American troops.
As of Tuesday, U.S. forces have redirected 55 commercial vessels attempting to circumvent the blockade, disabled three non-compliant vessels, and boarded two.
While the war ostensibly began over Iran’s nuclear program, the focus of the conflict has long since shifted to the strait, where Iran has demonstrated its ability to unilaterally disrupt global economic markets. It has also raised concerns about chokepoints both in the region and more globally.
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Trump has vacillated in recent months, going back and forth, threatening major escalatory attacks that critics say could amount to war crimes, to pursuing diplomatic overtures. He has repeatedly said he called off escalatory attacks that he had previewed, often attributing the decision to requests from Gulf country partners that are concerned about facing the wrath of Iran’s retaliation.
