President Trump said Wednesday that the Strait of Hormuz is under total American control, casting the U.S. Navy’s presence there as a “Wall of Steel” while oil continues to move out of the region at a high pace. The comments came a day after Energy Secretary Chris Wright said exports through and around the strait had increased even as Iran’s economy keeps weakening.
Trump made the claim on Truth Social, writing that the U.S.A. has “total control over the Strait of Hormuz” and adding that he believed the country would keep it. He also said the Navy blockade was being described as “A WALL OF STEEL” and asserted that Iran cannot do anything about it. In the same post, Trump said the Islamic Republic has no navy or air force, that its remaining soldiers are unpaid, and that the IRGC is “decimated and fleeing.” He also said Iran’s leadership is uncertain and that the country has no money. Trump ended the message by calling Iran “all talk and no action.”
The blockade of Iranian ports was renewed last month as the administration leaned more heavily on economic pressure against Tehran. Trump’s approach has been aimed at forcing the Islamic Republic to sue for peace, according to the president’s own description of the policy. The latest remarks fit a broader White House posture that has paired military pressure in the waterway with efforts to squeeze Iran financially.
Wright’s update on Tuesday offered the clearest numerical picture of the flow through the region. He said the seven-day average of oil leaving the Strait of Hormuz had reached almost 9 million barrels per day. He added that when that figure is combined with another 5 to 7 million barrels per day moving through newly upgraded pipelines and export facilities, total oil flows are running at about 15 million barrels per day. Wright also said that on Sunday alone, more than 20 million barrels left the Arabian Gulf region, a level he said was above the pre-conflict average.
