Trump Claims US Controls Strait of Hormuz, Says Iran Cannot Fight Back

United States (US) President Donald Trump has claimed that the US holds control over the Strait of Hormuz. He said the US will ‘maintain it’ and Iran cannot resist the US Navy blockade.

“The US has full control over the Strait of Hormuz. I THINK WE WILL MAINTAIN IT!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, as reported by AFP on Wednesday (12/8/2026).

“Our Navy blockade is called by everyone a ‘WALL OF STEEL’, and there is nothing Iran can do to counter it,” he added.

Trump has repeatedly claimed that the US controls the strait, which is vital for energy flows and the shipment of other commodities through the Middle East.

However, Iran has stated that it effectively controls most of the waterway and intends to implement a toll system in response to the war Trump launched against Iran on 28 February.

As is known, US and Israeli forces have bombarded Iran’s military and killed a large number of the country’s leaders during the war that has lasted nearly six months — a war initially launched with the aim, among others, of forcing Tehran to abandon its nuclear programme and bring about regime change.

Iran has fought back with missile attacks on US bases in the region, Israel, and targets in Gulf states allied with the US.

Their most effective response has been to attack ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, effectively paralysing the trade route and shaking the global economy.

Amid his declining domestic political popularity ahead of the November congressional midterm elections, Trump has backed away from escalating the war in pursuit of a decisive victory. This has left the war in a stalemate.

However, the Republican politician said the US is ready to focus on blockading Iranian ports through a strategy he described as a ‘low-key’ approach.

“We are only doing half-hearted negotiations with them. We are just monitoring Iran with very high inflation and the fact that they have no money,” Trump told Axios on Sunday.