Washington: US President Donald Trump has claimed that the United States has “total control” over the Strait of Hormuz and indicated that Washington intends to maintain its hold over the strategically important waterway.
“The U.S.A. has total control over the Strait of Hormuz. I THINK WE WILL KEEP IT!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
Describing the US naval blockade in sweeping terms, Trump said Iran had no ability to challenge it.
“Our Naval Blockade is being called, by everyone, ‘A WALL OF STEEL,’ and there is nothing Iran can do about it,” he said.
Trump did not provide operational details of the blockade, explain how long the US intended to maintain control of the Strait or outline the conditions under which the operation could end.
The US President also used the post to portray Iran’s military and political establishment as severely weakened, claiming that the country had lost its ability to mount an effective response to US actions.
“They have no Navy, they have no Air Force, their remaining soldiers are unpaid, the IRGC is decimated and fleeing, and their ‘Leadership’ is uncertain, at best!” he said.
Trump offered no evidence in the post to support those claims and did not identify the Iranian leaders whose positions he described as uncertain.
He further claimed that Iran was facing a deep economic crisis, citing a lack of funds and rapidly rising prices as signs of the country’s deteriorating condition.
“They have No Money - Their country is ‘shot.’ All they have is FAKE NEWS and 300% INFLATION, and getting worse!” Trump said.
The post marked another sharp escalation in Trump’s rhetoric against Tehran. He said Iran could no longer exert the regional influence it once possessed.
“Iran is all talk and no action, the Bully of the Middle East No Longer,” Trump said.
He ended the message with the words: “Praise be to Allah! President DONALD J. TRUMP”.
There was no immediate Iranian response in the material. The post also contained no information about casualties, naval encounters or disruptions to commercial shipping through the Strait.
With IANS inputs