As Strait of Hormuz transit drops, Trump again says US has ‘control’

What the report says

US President Donald Trump again asserted that the United States has “total control” over the Strait of Hormuz, repeating the claim in a Truth Social post on Wednesday after making a similar remark to reporters a day earlier. Al Jazeera reported that the statement came as diplomatic efforts to ease the US-Israel war with Iran and reopen the waterway remained stalled.

The article says traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen sharply. Reuters, as cited by Al Jazeera, reported that only eight vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday, compared with roughly 130 to 140 before the war. The piece also noted a drop from a recent ten-day average of about 12 crossings, based on Kpler data. The strait is a critical route for global energy and shipping, so any sustained disruption can affect trade and oil markets.

Al Jazeera reported that Iran continues to claim influence over the strait and has been holding talks with Oman on future management, while wider talks with Washington are largely paused. Tehran has said it will not allow full traffic to resume until the US naval blockade ends, sanctions are lifted, and its assets are unfrozen.

The report also said the conflict has widened beyond the strait, with renewed fighting involving US and Israeli forces and Houthi attacks in the Bab al-Mandab Strait. In that context, the sharp decline in transits underscores the continuing risks to maritime traffic in the region.