Iran Says Strait of Hormuz Remains Blocked Amid Low Ship Traffic

Iranian officials on Wednesday reiterated that the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked, stating it will not reopen until Tehran's conditions are met. The Persian Gulf Strait Authority posted on X that repeated U.S. statements claiming the waterway is no longer blocked do not change the "reality".

"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," the authority wrote.

President Donald Trump had earlier asserted on his social platform that the United States has "total control" over the strait and intends to maintain it.

Trade-monitoring data from Kpler showed vessel transits falling to an average of about 13 ships per day on Tuesday, the lowest level since mid-May and roughly 90% below the pre-conflict daily average of 130 ships. The decline includes all vessel types, from cargo ships to oil tankers.

Both sides have hardened their negotiating positions. Iran's Supreme National Security Council issued a set of demands for reopening the strait, calling for an end to the U.S. naval blockade, sanctions relief, withdrawal of American troops and war reparations.

In an interview with PBS, Mohammad Reza Naqdi, a senior adviser to the commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, claimed that Iran has achieved victory and described U.S. military actions as confused and lacking a coherent strategy.

"We saw confusion and bewilderment in America. It became a war without a strategy. Every two or three days, they announced a new objective ... They mobilized their battleships. Everything they tried, we can show how we were victorious," Naqdi said.

Naqdi added that Iran aims to attain deterrence by prolonging the conflict, warning that any future attack would incur a cost. The report was contributed by CNBC reporters.