By R Anil Kumar
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As Strait of Hormuz transit drops, Trump again says US has ‘control’
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Just eight vessels crossed Straiton Tuesday, August 11, down from 130 to 140 prior to the war as peace talks stall
Washington/Bengaluru, August 12, 2026. United States President Donald Trump has doubled down on claims the United States maintains “total control” over the Strait of Hormuz, even as transit through the arterial waterway fell to a one-week low amid the US-Israel war with Iran.
US President Donald Trump has said the United States has “total control” over the Strait of Hormuz and indicated that Washington intends to retain its hold over the strategic waterway.
United States President Donald Trump has doubled down on claims the United States maintains “total control” over the Strait of Hormuz, even as transit through the arterial waterway fell to a one-week low amid the US-Israel war with Iran.
“The U.S.A. has total control over the Strait of Hormuz. I THINK WE WILL KEEP IT!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
The US President described the naval blockade in sweeping terms. He said Iran could do nothing to challenge it.
“Our Naval Blockade is being called, by everyone, ‘A WALL OF STEEL,’ and there is nothing Iran can do about it,” Trump said.
The President did not provide operational details about the blockade. He also did not say how long the US expected to maintain control of the Strait or set out the conditions under which the operation could end.
Trump used the post to portray Iran’s military and political establishment as severely weakened. He claimed the country had lost its ability to mount an effective response to US actions.
“They have no Navy, they have no Air Force, their remaining soldiers are unpaid, the IRGC is decimated and fleeing, and their ‘Leadership’ is uncertain, at best!” he said.
Trump further claimed that Iran was facing a deep economic crisis. He cited a lack of funds and rapidly rising prices as signs of the country’s deteriorating condition.
“They have No Money – Their country is ‘shot.’ All they have is FAKE NEWS and 300% INFLATION, and getting worse!” he said. He said Iran could no longer exert the regional influence it once possessed.
“Iran is all talk and no action, the Bully of the Middle East No Longer,” Trump said.
He ended the message with the words: “Praise be to Allah! President DONALD J. TRUMP”.
There was no immediate Iranian response included in the material. The post also contained no information about casualties, naval encounters or disruptions to commercial shipping through the Strait.
Despite the statement, Iran has continued to assert its influence over the strait as it has pursued talks with Oman on future management. Wider peace talks with the US have been largely paused amid the Iran-Oman talks, which do not include Washington.
Iran has said it will not allow full traffic in the strait until the US naval blockade is lifted, sanctions are lifted, and its assets are unfrozen.
While ships can still transit through the strait, they face several obstacles and heightened threats. That has caused the volume of traffic to drop dramatically.
According to Reports, that just eight ships transited through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, far below the 130 to 140 ships pre-war rate. That was down from the previous ten-day average of about 12 ships, according to trade analytics platform Kpler data.
The US and Israel launched the war with Iran on February 28. The US and Iran signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at ending the conflict in June, but the agreement dissolved in mid July with both sides renewing attacks.
The Yemen-based Houthis have also opened a new front in the war, with attacks on vessels in the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Six people were killed in a Houthi attack on an Egyptian-owned ship on Tuesday, in the first deaths from such an attack.
Stalled peace efforts
Despite the lack of progress, the Trump administration has continually signalled its desire for an off-ramp in the war, which remains politically unpopular in the US ahead of midterm elections in November.
Some analysts saw Trump’s latest statements as part of a concerted effort to frame the conflict as a victory, despite falling short of stated goals of ending Iran’s nuclear programme, ending its influence in the region and fomenting wider regime change.
“The United States does not control the Strait of Hormuz. Despite everything that has happened, Iran retains sufficient capabilities to disrupt maritime traffic through the strait,” Experts opine
Others have questioned US Energy Secretary Chris Wright’s statement on Tuesday that “the seven-day average for oil leaving the Strait of Hormuz is currently up to almost 9 million barrels per day”. Wright said that, when combined with upgraded land delivery infrastructure, fossil fuel deliveries from the region were close to pre-war levels.
In a post on X, Brett Erickson, an analyst at Obsidian Risk Advisors, said there is “zero evidence that 9Mbpd is exiting the Strait of Hormuz per day”.
