Hormuz Dispute Deepens As Iran Defies Trump’s Reopening Claim
By ANDERSON CLIFF
IRAN has rejected claims by the United States that the Strait of Hormuz is open, insisting that the strategic waterway remains closed until Washington meets conditions set by Tehran.
The Iranian Persian Gulf Strait Authority said repeated statements by U.S. officials could not change the situation on the ground.
In a message posted on X, the authority said the Strait of Hormuz remained blocked and would not reopen unless Iran’s conditions were accepted.
The statement directly contradicted claims by U.S. President Donald Trump, who had said earlier that Washington maintained what he described as “total control” of the strategic waterway.
Trump also said the U.S. naval blockade had created what he described as a “wall of steel,” arguing that Iran lacked the capacity to challenge American control of the area.
Iran, however, has maintained a sharply different position.
Mohsen Rezaei, the newly appointed secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said the closure would continue unless the United States changed its conduct and accepted Tehran’s demands.
Among the conditions, he said, were an end to the war and the release of Iran’s frozen assets.
Rezaei also called for an end to the wider regional conflict, including the fighting affecting Lebanon and Gaza.
According to him, Iranian authorities had communicated other conditions to Washington through intermediaries.
The dispute has also extended to negotiations over possible alternative maritime arrangements.
Rezaei referred to ongoing discussions between Iran and Oman over the designation of a new route through the area. However, he stressed that any agreement on such a route would remain separate from the broader question of reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran tightened restrictions around the waterway on 28 February following joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iranian territory. Tehran subsequently barred the safe passage of vessels linked to or affiliated with the United States and Israel.
The latest exchange highlights the continuing disagreement over who controls access to one of the world’s most strategically important maritime corridors.
While Washington insists that its military presence has secured the route, Tehran maintains that the strait remains closed under conditions set by Iran.
The conflicting claims now leave shipping companies, governments and international markets watching closely for a clearer resolution to the standoff.
