Video: Trump declares Strait of Hormuz open, claims full U.S. Navy control
Donald Trump
Abdullateef Fowewe
United States President Donald Trump has claimed that the Strait of Hormuz is “open now” and asserted that the U.S. Navy has “100 percent” control of the strategic waterway, even as shipping data shows traffic remains at a fraction of pre-conflict levels.
In a press interaction at the White House, Trump was asked when the strait would be open.
He replied, “It’s open now. It’s open now. The only one that has control of the Strait of Hormuz right now is the U.S. Navy.”
He added that U.S. forces had “mine-swept the entire strait” and described the American blockade as “infallible,” telling reporters, “We have a blockade that’s been infallible — it’s a steel wall. We control the Strait, 100 percent.”
Trump also said the passage is “open for others (except for Iran) now,” while acknowledging occasional mine-dropping incidents that U.S. forces are finding and clearing.
Despite the president’s declaration, independent shipping trackers and maritime reports indicate that commercial transits through the strait remain severely depressed and risky.
On Monday, only six vessels were recorded passing through the chokepoint, far below the pre-war daily average of roughly 130–140 ships.
Between Aug. 6–8, just 40 U.S.-facilitated transits were logged, a small share of the roughly 138 vessels per day that typically used the route in 2025.
Maritime analysts attribute the slowdown to persistent security threats, insurance costs, and competing claims of control.
Iran’s parliament has been reviewing a plan to ban U.S.- and Israeli-linked ships and to charge tolls on others until Tehran receives compensation for war damage, while Iranian officials have tied a fuller reopening to U.S. concessions such as sanctions relief and reparations.
Meanwhile, the U.S. has enforced a naval blockade covering Iranian ports and coastal areas, warning that non-compliant vessels could be intercepted or diverted.
