Trump says U.S. Navy has full control of Strait of Hormuz amid reparations dispute with Iran
President Trump declared the Strait of Hormuz cleared of mines and under U.S. control, while Iran demands the removal of the naval blockade and payment of reparations before reopening the waterway.
President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that the U.S. Navy has swept the Strait of Hormuz of mines and now holds complete control of the strategic passage. He said the waterway is open and that the United States is "the only one that has control of the Strait of Hormuz right now," describing the U.S. posture as a "steel wall" that can locate any mines Iran may lay.
Iranian officials have countered that the strait will remain closed until Washington lifts its naval blockade, ends sanctions, withdraws forces, pays war reparations and releases frozen Iranian assets. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council secretary, Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, outlined these conditions on Saturday.
In response, Trump posted on his social platform that Iran should instead compensate the United States for casualties linked to Iranian actions, including roadside bombings and protests over the past five decades.
The dispute adds a new diplomatic flashpoint as the strait, which previously carried about 20% of global oil shipments, remains only partially active. Energy analysts note that tanker traffic is subdued and Brent crude prices stay well above pre-conflict levels, though a full-scale regional war is not considered the most likely outcome.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei rebuked U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s claim that sanctions are “suffocating” Iran, saying Washington resorts to sanctions when diplomacy fails and escalates them when they do not work.