Trump claims US has ‘total control’ of Hormuz

Washington: 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.

“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.

The President offered no evidence in the post to support those claims. He also did not identify the Iranian leaders whose positions he described as uncertain.

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.

The post marked another sharp escalation in Trump’s rhetoric against Tehran. 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.

IANS