US President Donald Trump has claimed that the United States now has effective control over the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz after American naval forces removed mines allegedly placed by Iran in the waterway.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, Trump said the US Navy had cleared the strait of mines and that several vessels had already resumed passage through the key maritime route.
According to Trump, the US Navy is currently the only power exercising control over the waterway. He described American control of the strait as effectively complete and said that the route was now open.
Trump acknowledged that Iran could attempt to lay mines in the area again. However, he said US forces were capable of detecting and removing them.
The president described the US military presence in the region as an “iron wall,” arguing that occasional attempts by Iran to disrupt the waterway would not undermine Washington’s control.
Reports indicate that the United States has also maintained a naval blockade around Iranian ports since mid-April, further increasing pressure on Tehran.
Ship traffic remains below normal
Despite Trump’s claim that the Strait of Hormuz is open, commercial shipping activity remains significantly lower than normal.
Shipping data showed that only six vessels passed through the strait on Monday. By comparison, the average number of daily crossings during the previous 10 days was around 11.
Data from maritime analytics company Kpler showed that four cargo vessels entered the waterway on Tuesday. Two of them were empty petroleum-product tankers. Two other vessels left the strait during the same period—one carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and another transporting fuel oil.
Traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, another strategically important maritime passage, remained considerably higher. Around 25 vessels passed through the Red Sea route on Monday, compared with an average of approximately 24 vessels per day over the preceding 10 days.
The figures suggest that while the Strait of Hormuz may be technically open, commercial shipping has yet to return to normal levels. Continued concerns over security, mines and the possibility of further confrontation appear to be keeping many operators cautious.
