Trump Says US Has Mineswept Hormuz, Bars Ships From Entering Iran
22:21 10.8.2026
US President Donald Trump says Washington has effectively taken control of the Strait of Hormuz, claiming the strategic waterway has been cleared of mines and that a US blockade of Iranian ports is holding firm.
"We have a blockade that has been infallible; it's a steel wall," Trump told reporters at the White House on August 10. He said the strait was "actually open now" because the United States was allowing selected vessels to pass, while preventing ships from entering Iran.
Trump also claimed that the United States had "mineswept" the entire waterway, a key shipping route through which a large share of global oil supplies normally passes. Iran has continued to assert control over traffic in the strait and has said its reopening depends on conditions including an end to US sanctions and compensation for wartime damage.
Trump rejected Tehran's demand for compensation, saying Washington would instead seek payments from Iran for Americans killed or wounded in conflicts over decades. He cited the attack on the USS Cole in 2000 and alleged Iranian responsibility for the deaths of tens of thousands of people, including protesters killed in recent unrest. Trump also said Iran had killed 52,000 protesters over the past four months, referring to a figure he said was an estimate from about a month and a half ago.
Asked whether Washington was still considering a major military escalation against Iran, Trump said the United States "certainly" had the ability to do so. "You'll find out," he said when asked what would happen next.
Maritime-security expert Ian Ralby, head of Auxilium Worldwide, told RFE/RL that shipping companies' ability to use the strait safely remains dependent on the security situation and Iranian permission.
"The reality for the shipping lines on the water is that if they try to go through the US-protected corridor without Iranian permission, they have a very strong likelihood ... of getting attacked," Ralby said, citing recent drone and missile attacks.
He said insurers and shipping companies would need to see a sustained period of safe navigation before insurance premiums begin to fall. "It is important for the US to show more than tell at this point," Ralby said.
Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-live-blog-trump-middle- east/33803414.html?lbis=468226
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