‘Some dreams are too far from reality’: Iran mocks Trump’s Hormuz claims with map

Iran's new security chief, Mohsen Rezaei, ridiculed U.S. President Donald Trump's assertions about control over the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday (August 18), stating that Washington had failed to fully reopen the vital waterway despite threatening to assert dominance. Rezaei emphasized the stark gap between America's inability to reopen the strait and its claim of ownership by likening it to the 7,000-mile distance between Washington and the strait itself.

He concluded, "Welcome to the post-American order in the Persian Gulf," accompanied by a map illustrating this disparity. The remarks followed Trump's claim that the Strait of Hormuz was "open and operating" and that a U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports remained in effect. However, Trump later contradicted these claims on Truth Social, asserting no ongoing talks or scheduled negotiations with Iran.

The U.S. also claimed all mines in the waterway had been removed or detonated. Trump marked the Strait of Hormuz as "NEW U.S. Territory" on a map, further reinforcing his claims of control. Tehran maintains that the reopening of the strait hinges on a series of demands from Washington, with Iran's top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, stating the waterway would remain closed until U.S. commitments under a memorandum of understanding are met.

The dispute has placed the Strait of Hormuz at the heart of escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran, a crucial energy chokepoint through which about one-fifth of global oil and gas supplies pass. The standoff has resulted in reduced maritime traffic and contributed to higher oil prices, impacting global energy markets and U.S. consumers, putting political pressure on Trump ahead of the November midterm elections.

Diplomatic efforts have stalled, with Qatar mediating an agreement between Iran and Oman over management of the Strait of Hormuz, though the U.S. has not been directly involved.