Trump Repeatedly Claims Complete Control Over Strait of Hormuz... WSJ Reports 'Reality Is Different'

U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated on the 12th (local time) that the United States has complete control over the Strait of Hormuz and asserted that he will maintain this control.

President Trump stated on social media Truth Social that "the United States has complete control over the Strait of Hormuz" and added, "I think we will keep it that way."

He went on to emphasize that the U.S. maritime blockade against Iran is "called a 'wall of steel' by everyone, and Iran can do nothing about it."

President Trump claimed that "Iran has no navy, no air force, the remaining soldiers are not being paid, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is shattered and running away," adding that "their leadership is, to put it nicely, in a state of uncertainty."

He also stated, "They have no money. The country is broken. All they have left is fake news and 300% inflation, and things are getting worse."

President Trump further wrote that "Iran is all talk and no action" and "they are no longer the bully of the Middle East."

These remarks came as negotiations continue between Iran and Middle Eastern mediators regarding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and are interpreted as a continuation of a war of nerves with Iran, which asserts practical control over the strait.

Earlier, there were observations among mediators that negotiations with Iran regarding the Strait of Hormuz had made significant progress, but the U.S. and Iran continue to project hardline stances and engage in a battle of nerves externally.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) pointed out regarding President Trump's claim of controlling Hormuz that "the reality at sea tells a different story."

According to vessel tracking data cited by the WSJ, an average of over 130 ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz daily before the outbreak of the war with Iran, but the previous day saw only 14 ships, 11 of which used routes managed by Iran.

In June as well, ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz averaged 33 vessels per day, and in July it was 26 vessels per day.

The WSJ analyzed that Iran is shrinking vessel operations in the Strait of Hormuz by heightening anxiety among shipping companies and insurers through even limited drone and missile attacks on ships. Rachel Ziemba, a senior fellow at the think tank Center for a New American Security, said, "Iran maintains a certain level of control by using the fear factor of tangible physical danger."

Notably, attention is drawn to the fact that ships are reluctant to use the Omani coastal routes protected by the U.S. Navy out of fear of Iranian attacks.

According to vessel tracking firm Kpler, about half of the vessels that passed through the strait this month chose routes managed by Iran.

The other half turned off their transponders and did not disclose their routes when passing through the strait.

Out of 166 strait transit cases, only 2 were confirmed to have used the U.S.-backed Omani coastal route.

Dimitris Maniatis, CEO of maritime risk response firm Mariscsk, stated, "The southern Omani route cannot currently be considered a reliably protected passage."

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.