President Donald Trump claimed Wednesday that the United States maintains total control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz amid a deadlocked war with Iran, praising an ongoing naval blockade as a wall of steel while oil prices hovered near $89 a barrel and transit volumes dropped.
The latest statements from Washington and Tehran highlight a deepening stalemate as negotiations over the critical waterway remain deadlocked.
Trump Hails Naval Blockade as Regional Transit Plummets
Trump described the ongoing military posture in unambiguous terms while speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington. The administration’s renewed focus on blockading Iranian ports comes as political popularity sinks at home ahead of the November midterm congressional elections.
“The U.S.A. has total control over the Strait of Hormuz. I THINK WE WILL KEEP IT!”
President Donald Trump, via Euronews
Trump also claimed that the naval blockade is being called by everyone a wall of steel, adding that there is nothing Iran can do about it
and concluding his message with religious praise.
Despite the assertions of total control, actual maritime movement through the vital channel has slowed dramatically. Data from trade analytics platform Kpler cited by Reuters indicates that just eight ships transited through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, falling far below pre-war averages of 130 to 140 ships and dipping beneath the previous ten-day average of about 12 vessels.
Stalled Diplomacy and Competing Claims Over Regional Control
Diplomatic efforts led by regional intermediaries have failed to yield a breakthrough. While mediators from Qatar and Pakistan continue working to bring an end to the conflict—which began when the U.S. and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28—officials and analysts note that conditions for reopening the strait remain unresolved.
Iran has pursued separate discussions with Oman regarding future management of the waterway, though those talks do not include Washington. Mohsen Rezaee, the newly appointed secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, stated that any agreement with Oman would remain separate from a full reopening. According to state-run IRIB, Rezaee indicated that Iran demands an end to the war, the lifting of sanctions, and the unfreezing of Iranian assets before traffic normalizes.
Senior analysts remain deeply skeptical of Washington’s narrative of total dominance. Dennis Citrinowicz, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies, wrote on X that the United States does not control the Strait of Hormuz and that Iran retains sufficient capabilities to disrupt maritime traffic.
Energy Markets React as Production and Transit Figures Clash
Global commodity markets continue to feel the strain. Before the conflict, the strait carried about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows. On Wednesday, global benchmark Brent crude traded slightly higher at just over $89 per barrel in London, extending an ongoing rally.
Conflicting statements have emerged regarding actual oil export volumes leaving the region. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright posted on social media that the seven-day average for oil leaving the strait is almost 9 million barrels per day, a figure he said approaches pre-war levels when combined with upgraded land delivery infrastructure.
That assessment faced immediate pushback from industry analysts. Brett Erickson, an analyst at Obsidian Risk Advisors, wrote on X that there is zero evidence that 9 million barrels per day is exiting the Strait of Hormuz.
Broader Conflict Spills Over Into Regional Waterways
The maritime standoff extends beyond the Persian Gulf. Military incidents continue to disrupt shipping lanes, including a Tuesday event where a U.S. Navy military helicopter struck a Panama-flagged cargo vessel attempting to transit the Gulf of Oman.
Concurrently, Yemen-based Houthis have opened a secondary front in the conflict. A Houthi attack on an Egyptian-owned ship resulted in six deaths in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, marking the first fatalities reported from such strikes.
As international mediators travel between capitals to prevent further escalation, former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman told Bloomberg TV that the situation has reached a definitive stalemate, adding her assessment that Iran will retain effective control over the waterway for the foreseeable future.
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