Iran refutes Trump’s claim to ‘control’ Hormuz

Nearly half a year into the US-Iran conflict, global oil reserves are dwindling as passage through the Strait of Hormuz remains largely halted, with both nations at odds over who holds control of this vital waterway. US President Donald Trump claims the strait – where oil flows from nations like Saudi Arabia and Iraq to the rest of the world – is under US control, stating, "We have total control.

We own it, and at some point, maybe they’ll do something, and then they get blown away." However, Iran maintains it will not fully reopen the strait until the US meets its conditions.

The US naval blockade of Iran still stands, preventing ships from accessing or departing Iranian ports, either within or outside the strait. This has significantly hampered Iran's financial flow and cut off Iranian maritime trade through the strait. While some traffic does continue through the Persian Gulf, bound for non-Iranian destinations, it represents only a small fraction of the pre-war levels.

For example, only 14 vessels passed through the strait on a single Tuesday this week, compared to the usual 120 ships that traversed it daily prior to the war. This reluctance to use the strait is largely due to concerns over the safety of transit, as reported by Carl Schuster, a former director of the US Pacific Command's Joint Intelligence Center.

Such apprehensions are not unfounded, with at least four vessels belonging to the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company attacked by drones and missiles in the strait within the past week alone, according to the company. These attacks have also led to increased insurance costs, further discouraging shipping companies from using the area while the war persists.

Apart from these direct assaults, Iran employs other tactics to interfere with shipping, such as flying drones overhead and conducting targeted surveillance of merchant vessels, according to a recent advisory from the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a Royal Navy-affiliated organization that monitors maritime security in the region.

Since the onset of the war, there have been 54 reports of damage to vessels in the strait or in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman adjacent to it, as documented by the UKMTO. Three vessels have been confirmed lost, and 13 others have experienced near misses.