Trump assured that the United States has full control of the Strait of Hormuz: "It is already open"

The President of the United States, Donald Trump, speaks in the Oval Office of the White House, in Washington (REUTERS/Kylie Cooper) The President of the United States, Donald Trump, stated this Monday that his country exercises full control of the Strait of Hormuz, contradicting Iran's position, which has kept this strategic maritime route blocked since mid-July. "It is now open. The only one controlling the Strait of Hormuz at this moment is the United States Navy," declared the leader to journalists in the Oval Office of the White House. Trump acknowledged that Iran sporadically places naval mines, but maintained that U.S. forces have completely cleared the passage and that his country controls it "100%." He added that when Tehran leaves a mine in the water, the Navy locates and neutralizes it without affecting the circulation of ships. The president's words contrast with Iran's official position, reiterated last weekend. The regime maintains that the strait will remain closed until Washington meets a series of political conditions, regardless of the technical advances negotiated with Oman to establish new navigation routes. Iranian Foreign Minister, Abás Araqchí, indicated that the understanding with Muscat is in its "final phase" and would define the routes that ships could use once Tehran's other demands are satisfied. These include lifting the naval blockade, ending economic sanctions, releasing Iranian assets frozen abroad, and compensation for damages caused by the war. Archive image of vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, seen from Musandam, Oman. August 3, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer These conditions were also joined by the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Mohamad Baqer Zolqadr, who also demanded the cessation of "military threats" against Iran and its allies in Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, and Iraq, as well as the withdrawal of U.S. forces deployed in the region. "These are the demands of the Iranian people," he said, warning that his country "will never give in" either militarily or at the negotiation table. The conflict dates back to February 28, when the United States and Israel launched an offensive against Iran claiming to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon. The war soon escalated into a dispute over control of the Strait of Hormuz, through which nearly a fifth of the world's traded oil and liquefied natural gas passed before the blockade. A temporary ceasefire negotiated in April with Pakistan's mediation did not prevent hostilities from resuming weeks later. The diplomatic standoff worsened after the United Arab Emirates accused Iran of attacking a tanker belonging to the state oil company ADNOC in the strait. Oman, a coastal country mediating between the two sides, described the talks with Tehran as "positive," although warned that attacks on vessels could affect ongoing negotiations. Trump responded on Monday to Iran's demands via his social media platform Truth Social, where he announced that he will demand compensation from Iran for "abuses committed in the past" and compensation for the families of protesters suppressed by the state. The U.S. stance thus diverges from Iran's not only in the assessment of who controls Hormuz but also in the very direction of the war reparations that both countries demand from each other. The dispute over the strait will continue to set the pace of negotiations in the coming weeks. While Washington insists that the route is clear and operational, Tehran conditions any normalization of maritime traffic on a political shift that the White House has shown no willingness to make, keeping global energy markets on edge.