Trump Claims Full Control of Strait of Hormuz: Sealed Tight!
Tensions in the Middle East are flaring up again after US President Donald Trump claimed that his side has full control over the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial route for global energy supplies. This statement comes amid a bold action by Iranian commandos who seized two container ships in the area.
Citing a report from The Guardian, on Thursday (23/04/2026), Donald Trump stated that Iran’s current leadership is shaky due to internal disputes, making it unclear who truly holds power in Tehran. However, Trump’s claim is considered dubious given that Iran’s military is still capable of seizing ships and the presence of sea mines that could cripple shipping lanes for months.
“We have total control over the Strait of Hormuz. No ship can enter or exit without the approval of the United States Navy. The area is ‘Sealed Tight’, until Iran can make a DEAL!!!” Trump said in his post on the social media platform Truth Social.
Trump’s comment was made after US special forces intercepted a stateless oil tanker in the Indian Ocean, which the Pentagon accused of carrying Iranian crude oil.
This military operation occurred just hours after Iran seized two container ships, leading both sides to impose blockades in the strait, which has pushed global oil prices to US$100 per barrel.
The impact of the dual blockades is exacerbated by the presence of sea mines. In a briefing to Congress, the Pentagon warned that clearing mines from the sea route could take up to six months, as reported by the Washington Post.
“That report is inaccurate,” said the Pentagon spokesperson in response to the mine-clearing duration report, although he did not provide specific objections.
Trump himself claimed that US mine-sweeping ships are working at three times the speed. He also affirmed that he has ordered the US Navy to act decisively against anyone attempting to sabotage the waterway.
“I have ordered the Navy to shoot and kill any ship that lays mines in the waterway. There should be no doubt about it,” Trump emphasised.
This crisis has sparked global concerns over energy supply stability. The Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, Fatih Birol, warned that the current situation represents the most serious threat to global energy resilience.
“The world is currently facing the greatest energy security threat in history,” Birol stated in an interview with CNBC.
On the other hand, Trump also announced that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to extend a ceasefire with Hezbollah for three weeks. Nevertheless, small-scale fighting continues, including an Israeli strike that killed Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil on the previous Wednesday.
When asked how long he would wait for a peace deal with Iran, Trump responded casually but with threats against Iran’s military capabilities, which he claimed have been destroyed.
“Don’t rush me. Their navy is gone. Their air force is gone, their anti-aircraft defences are gone… maybe they replenished a bit during the two-week pause, but we would destroy them in about a day if they did,” Trump added.
Trump emphasised that he does not want to rush into a short negotiation because he wants permanent results for regional stability.
“I want to make the best deal. I could make a deal now… but I don’t want to do that. I want that deal to be permanent,” Trump explained.
To date, Iran has refused to attend peace talks in Pakistan. Trump accused this refusal of being due to disharmony within Tehran’s government between hardliners and moderates in determining negotiation strategies.
“Iran is having big trouble figuring out who their leader is!” Trump said.
The condition of Iran’s leadership has indeed come under scrutiny after Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei was reported to have been severely injured in a joint US-Israel attack in February. Citing the New York Times, although injured, Khamenei is said to still have mental sharpness despite undergoing a series of medical operations.
“One leg has been operated on three times and he is awaiting a prosthetic. He underwent surgery on one hand and its function is slowly returning. His face and lips were severely burned, making it difficult to speak, and he will eventually need plastic surgery,” the newspaper reported, citing Iranian officials.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed that the seizure of the two ships, namely the Greek-owned Epaminondas and the Panamanian-flagged MSC Francesca, was due to maritime security violations.
“The two ships endangered maritime security by operating without the necessary permits and damaging navigation systems,” stated the official IRGC navy statement.