Trump Declares 'Total Control' Over Strait of Hormuz
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- Trump declared the US has 'total control' over the Strait of Hormuz on Aug 12, vowing to 'keep it' and calling the naval blockade a 'WALL OF STEEL' on Truth Social
- Iran rejects Trump's claim, asserting it effectively controls much of the waterway and intends to impose a toll system in retaliation for the US war launched Feb 28
- The US-Iran war has stretched nearly six months, with US and Israeli forces bombing Iran's military and killing a swath of its leadership, while Iran struck back with missiles at US bases, Israel, and Gulf allies
- Iran's shipping strikes in Hormuz have 'effectively snarl[ed]' the trade route and rattled the world economy — described in the source as Tehran's 'most effective response'
- Trump has backed off escalation threats as his political popularity sinks ahead of November midterm elections, leaving the war in what the source calls 'a standoff'
- Trump told Axios the US will shift focus to blockading Iranian ports in a 'low-keying' strategy, saying the US is 'only semi-negotiating' and 'just watching Iran with its huge inflation'
Why it matters: Trump's 'total control' claim directly contradicts Iran's assertion it dominates the strait and will impose tolls; his simultaneous admission of a 'standoff' and pivot to blockade signals eroding leverage six months into a war he launched Feb 28, with midterm elections looming and shipping already disrupted.
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