'Hormuz under our control': Iran rejects Trump's claim of US 'total control' over key oil route

A senior Iranian official on Thursday (August 13) rejected US President Donald Trump's claims over American control of the Strait of Hormuz, asserting that the strategically important maritime passage remains under Tehran's jurisdiction.

Hossein Taeb, head of the paramilitary Basij force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), made the remarks during an interview broadcast on Iranian state television. "Today, you see that the Strait of Hormuz is under the management and control of the Islamic Republic, and our country continues on its path in complete security," Taeb stated.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also condemned Washington's assertions regarding the waterway. "The US has long miscalculated due to intelligence failures. Case in point: the war on Iran. Now, an even bigger miscalculation on the Strait of Hormuz," Araghchi posted on X.

Furthermore, Iranian legislators also stressed that restrictions on transit through the Strait of Hormuz are specifically directed at vessels linked to the US and Israel.

Behnam Saeedi, a member of Iran's parliament and its National Security Commission, said on state television that ships affiliated with Israel and the US remain barred from passing through the strategic waterway. "Ships belonging to the Zionist regime will not have the right to pass through the Strait of Hormuz under any circumstances, whether in war or peacetime," Saeedi said.

His remarks came a day after .

Taking to Truth Social, he praised the success of the US naval blockade and claimed that it is being touted as a "wall of steel" and that Iran cannot do anything about it.

In a statement, Trump said, "The USA has total control over the Strait of Hormuz. I THINK WE WILL KEEP IT!” He also described the US naval blockade a "WALL OF STEEL" and added that there was nothing Iran could do about it.

While Washington has repeatedly asserted its command over the strategic passage, Tehran has consistently countered those claims, reiterating its intention to institute a toll mechanism along the route.

Meanwhile, Tehran and Oman are holding separate talks on establishing an alternative passage through the Strait of Hormuz, although no agreement has been finalised yet. Iranian authorities have cautioned that even if such a route is established, it would not necessarily lead to an immediate resumption of normal maritime traffic.

Tehran has maintained that Washington must address its broader diplomatic demands before regular navigation can resume, keeping the strategic waterway at the heart of the ongoing geopolitical standoff.