6 months into the Iran war, here's where things stand

The Islamic Republic of Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) Navy declared on Friday that it maintains "complete and decisive control" of the Strait of Hormuz, rejecting United States claims that the waterway remains open. The IRGC Navy's statement, carried by Iran's state broadcaster IRIB, described US officials as "continuing to lie" about the strait's status to influence oil prices and conceal American shortcomings.

The IRGC Navy insisted that "the dominance of the fighters of Islam over this strategic waterway is completely decisive" and that the strait remained closed to all ships not coordinated with Iran. The declaration comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and the US, following US President Donald Trump's announcement of the "biggest oil deal in world history" with Venezuela.

The deal grants the US majority control over more than 65 billion barrels of proven crude oil reserves, potentially doubling total American oil reserves and driving down domestic gasoline prices, according to the administration. However, Iran's Foreign Ministry urged other nations not to enforce new US sanctions, calling such participation complicity in unlawful pressure on sovereign states.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that diplomacy with the United States was "not impossible" if Washington recognized that "pressure doesn't work."