US President Donald Trump and Iranian authorities have exchanged conflicting claims over control of the Strait of Hormuz, with Washington insisting it has "total control" of the strategic shipping route and Tehran maintaining that the waterway remains closed.
The so-called Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) rejected Trump's assertion that the United States controls the strait, arguing that the vital maritime corridor remains blocked.
"the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked and will not be reopened until Iran’s conditions are accepted.," the authority said in a statement posted on X.
It added that repeated claims by US officials that the Iranian blockade has been lifted do not change "the reality on the ground."
Claims and repeated posts by U.S. officials that the Strait of Hormuz is no longer blocked do not change the reality: the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked and will not be reopened until Iran’s conditions are accepted.
— PGSA | نهاد مدیریت آبراه خلیج فارس (@PGSA_IRAN) August 12, 2026
Trump's claims
Trump reiterated through Truth Social that the US has full control over the strait.
Earlier this week, he said that "nobody else, only us" controls the waterway.
"We're being discreet," Trump told Axios on Sunday, adding that the US is "half-negotiating" with Iran while monitoring the country's worsening economic situation.
The US president said the option of further military strikes remains on the table but indicated that increasing the economic pressure from sanctions is currently the preferred approach.
On Monday, Trump said Iran could "cause disturbances" but is "bankrupt" and short of money.
He again insisted that the US has "total control" of the Strait of Hormuz, a claim he repeated on Tuesday via Truth Social.
Strategic waterway
The dispute centres on one of the world's most important maritime chokepoints for global hydrocarbon trade.
The standoff over the strait is widely regarded as one of the factors behind the recent escalation in the Middle East.
Iran closed the waterway two days after the US-Israeli attack on the Islamic Republic on 28 February, using attacks on vessels and threats to shipping.
Shipping traffic remains low
According to data from maritime monitoring service Kpler, only eight commercial vessels passed through the strait on Tuesday, the lowest number recorded since 5 August.
Seven of those ships followed a route along the Iranian coastline, as required by Tehran.
Before the conflict, an average of 130 to 140 commercial vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz each day.
Source: CNA
