TEHRAN — Iran said on Thursday that it retained full control of the Strait of Hormuz, rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that Washington had taken control of the strategically vital waterway.
Hossein Taeb, head of Iran’s Basij paramilitary force, said the strait was under Iran’s “full management,” according to Fars news agency. Iran’s military has separately said that vessels cannot pass through the waterway without Tehran’s permission.
The United States has made a competing claim. Trump said the United States had “total control” of the strait, while U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Washington could maintain its naval blockade of Iranian ports indefinitely by rotating ships in and out of the region.
The conflicting claims come as commercial shipping through the waterway remains severely disrupted. Reuters reported on Thursday that the disruption was continuing amid the unresolved U.S.-Iran confrontation.
The Strait of Hormuz is a major route for global oil and gas shipments, and its disruption has contributed to uncertainty in energy markets. India’s Petronet LNG said on Thursday that it had no clarity on September LNG supplies from Qatar because of continuing regional disruptions.
There was no immediate independent confirmation that either side had established exclusive operational control over the entire waterway. The competing claims remained unresolved as the situation continued to develop.
