President Donald Trump claimed on Wednesday that the United States has established total control over the Strait of Hormuz through a naval blockade, while issuing a wide-ranging critique of Iran’s military and economic stability.
Trump’s Statement
In a post published to Truth Social, Trump characterized the U.S. maritime deployment in the region as an insurmountable barrier and asserted that Iranian forces are unable to respond. “The U.S.A. has total control over the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump wrote. “I THINK WE WILL KEEP IT! Our Naval Blockade is being called, by everyone, ‘A WALL OF STEEL,’ and there is nothing Iran can do about it.”
Trump further stated that Iran’s armed forces have been functionally dismantled, alleging that the country no longer possesses an operational navy or air force. He also claimed that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is “decimated and fleeing” and that remaining military personnel are unpaid, adding that Iran’s leadership is “uncertain, at best!”
Regional Context
The statements come amid monthslong military friction in the Middle East. U.S. naval operations along the Iranian coastline were reinstated following a breakdown in diplomatic negotiations and recurring disputes over commercial shipping lanes.
The Strait of Hormuz serves as one of the world’s most critical maritime choke points, with roughly 20% to 25% of global seaborne petroleum passing through the narrow passage linking the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman. Commercial transit through the area has experienced major disruptions after Iran launched attacks on merchant shipping and placed sea mines in response to joint U.S. and Israeli air operations.
Original reporting: Tampa Free Press — read the source article.
