Iran has pushed back against US President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that Washington has “total control” over the Strait of Hormuz, with Tehran insisting that the strategically vital waterway remains under Iranian control and will not be fully reopened to international shipping unless the US meets its demands.Iranian consul general in Mumbai Saeid Reza Mosayeb Motlagh told ANI on Thursday that Trump’s claim was “false”, rejecting his assertion that the US had destroyed Iran’s naval and missile forces.Motlagh said Tehran was prepared to reopen the strait once Washington fulfilled its commitments and accepted Iran’s conditions under a 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).Trump had said on Tuesday that the US had “total control” over the strait through its naval blockade and backed the idea of declaring the strategic waterway US territory.He also claimed the passage remained open and said Iran could still try to disrupt shipping by laying mines. The comments came as Washington continued to use control of the waterway as a major source of pressure on Tehran.Motlagh said any arrangement on Hormuz would have to protect Iran as well as countries along the southern shores of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. He said Tehran would not accept any agreement that caused damage to Iranian territory.Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has separately said the strait would remain closed to full international shipping until Washington fulfils the commitments outlined in the MoU. These include lifting the US blockade, releasing frozen Iranian assets, lifting oil sanctions and ending threats and military operations against Iran.Ghalibaf also described Washington’s actions as a “breach of covenant” and warned that Iran was prepared to mount a renewed military response if it considered the ceasefire understanding violated.
Trump widens pressure campaign
The latest dispute over Hormuz comes as Trump has announced a new economic offensive against Iran, warning that countries providing Tehran with “any type of lifeline” could face “tremendous” economic consequences.Trump said the US was preparing what he described as the “most crushing” economic operation ever imposed on a country, targeting financial and commercial support that could help Iran withstand the pressure. He did not immediately specify which countries or entities would face penalties.The warning raises the prospect of pressure on countries and businesses that continue trading with Iran, as Washington seeks to combine the naval blockade with tighter economic isolation. Iran, meanwhile, has continued to reject US claims over Hormuz and tied any full reopening of the waterway to a broader set of political and economic concessions.
