On Monday, President Donald Trump announced that the United States has full control of the Strait of Hormuz and stated that talks with Iran are ongoing. This comes despite Iran's denial of any negotiations and reports of another security incident near the critical waterway.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump criticized Iran's leaders for being deceptive, claiming they are privately trying to negotiate while publicly denying any discussions.
“Iranian Leadership is unbelievably duplicitous!” Trump wrote. “They ask for a meeting… talks begin, with more scheduled in the immediate future, and they say, openly and proudly, that they’re not having any discussions.”
Trump also dismissed Iran's claims over the Strait, stating that it is "completely controlled by the United States Navy and our 'Blockade' or, as some say, 'The United States Wall of Steel!'"
He emphasized that "nothing gets through to Iran, unless we want it to," reiterating his stance that "IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON."
These comments came just hours after Iran's Foreign Ministry rejected Trump's earlier claim that negotiations with the U.S. began on Monday. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said there were no ongoing talks or planned meetings, and that Iran was only discussing the Strait of Hormuz with Oman.
Additionally, Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority reiterated their position on July 31, explaining that commercial passage through the waterway remains suspended.
“Due to continued aggressive actions of U.S. forces in the region, passage through the Strait of Hormuz is not feasible,” the authority stated on social media. They mentioned that transit permit requests would only be reviewed once "stability is restored."
These conflicting statements come as security situations around the Strait of Hormuz continue to deteriorate.
On Friday, GasLog confirmed that its LNG carrier, GasLog Shanghai, was damaged while navigating the Strait. The company reported that all crew members were safe but did not share details about the damage.
This incident followed two security alerts from the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), one concerning an LNG tanker that was struck by an unidentified projectile, damaging its engine room and leaving it incapacitated. Another tanker reported an explosion nearby but was unharmed.
Later, UKMTO reported another incident in which the captain of a ship observed an explosion close to their vessel in the area. Thankfully, there were no injuries or damages reported.
These events highlight the growing divide between the narratives of Washington and Tehran regarding control of this crucial maritime route.
The Trump administration has claimed that U.S. naval forces are enforcing a de facto blockade against Iran and ensuring safe passage through the Strait. Conversely, Tehran maintains it has authority over shipping in the area and argues that commercial traffic cannot resume under the current security circumstances.
The escalating exchange of statements occurs amid ongoing attacks on commercial shipping, creating ongoing uncertainty for shipowners and insurers operating in this waterway, which typically carries about one-fifth of global oil supplies.