President Donald Trump asserted that the Strait of Hormuz is already open and under the control of the U.S. Navy. However, Iran maintains that it will only reopen the strait if the U.S. lifts its maritime blockade and sanctions, leading to conflicting claims from both sides.
On August 10, during a press briefing at the White House, Trump stated, "It is currently open," and emphasized that "the only force controlling the strait is the U.S. Navy."
Trump claimed, "The U.S. is controlling the entry of vessels and has removed all mines placed in the strait." He added, "Iran occasionally places mines, but we are able to locate them, and we have removed all mines from the strait."
However, The New York Times pointed out that contrary to Trump's assertions, the Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed since the outbreak of hostilities.
According to Reuters, Iran has stated it will not fully reopen the strait until the U.S. accepts its demands. These include lifting the maritime blockade, ending economic sanctions, withdrawing U.S. troops from the region, returning frozen assets, and providing reparations for war damages.
Recently, Iran and Oman have approached an agreement regarding new shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz. However, Iran clarified that even if an agreement is reached on the new route, it does not mean the strait will be fully reopened immediately.
In response to Iran's demands for war reparations, Trump countered on Truth Social, stating, "Iran should compensate for the casualties of Americans and its own anti-government protesters," and indicated that he has instructed his negotiating team to raise this issue in future discussions with Iran.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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