Donald Trump has doubled down on his claim that Washington controls the Strait of Hormuz, even as Iran and Oman continue negotiations over restoring shipping traffic through the critical waterway. “Right now we have absolute control of the Strait of Hormuz. They don’t have control. We have absolute control. It belongs to us,” the U.S. president told reporters. He went further, warning that if Iran attempts to challenge the United States, “we will obliterate them — I don’t trust them.”
Trump’s remarks follow Tehran’s ultimatum that it will not reopen the vital shipping lane until Washington meets a series of conditions, including the payment of war reparations and the lifting of sanctions.
Strait of Hormuz ship traffic drops to one-week low
Meanwhile, the number of vessels recorded transiting the Strait of Hormuz fell on Tuesday to its lowest level in a week, as shipowners continue to avoid the strategically vital waterway amid the ongoing turmoil caused by the U.S.-Iran standoff.
According to data from Kpler, cited by Reuters, eight vessel transits were recorded on Tuesday — below the average of approximately 12 per day over the past ten days and the lowest figure since August 5. Separate data from LSEG recorded 11 transits on Tuesday, down from 14 the previous day.
The picture is strikingly different compared to the pre-war period. Before Iran closed the waterway following the start of U.S.-Israeli strikes on February 28, approximately 130 to 140 ships typically passed through the Strait of Hormuz each day.
US and Iran are “close to some kind of deal” on the Strait of Hormuz, Pakistan says
The United States and Iran are “close to some kind of deal” regarding the Strait of Hormuz, Pakistan’s Defense Minister said on Monday, according to Bloomberg — despite both sides appearing to harden their positions in recent days amid negotiations that have long been at an impasse.
“Things are shaping up in favor of peace,” Khawaja Asif told reporters in Islamabad on Tuesday, without providing further details on any potential progress in the talks.
Negotiations between Iran and Oman over reopening the Strait of Hormuz to a portion of maritime traffic have reached an advanced stage, Al Jazeera reported earlier, citing a spokesperson from Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
