President Donald Trump asserted that the United States has achieved "full control" over the Hormuz Strait and will maintain that control. However, actual shipping data indicates that vessels are increasingly opting for Iranian-managed routes over those protected by the U.S.
On August 12, Trump stated on social media platform Truth Social, "The United States has completely taken over the Hormuz Strait and will continue to do so." He referred to the U.S. maritime blockade against Iran as a "steel wall," claiming that Iran is unable to respond.
Despite Trump's claims, shipping traffic through the strait has significantly decreased. On August 11, only about ten vessels were recorded passing through the Hormuz Strait, a stark contrast to the pre-war average of over 130 vessels per day.
The Wall Street Journal analyzed that, contrary to Trump's assertion of "full control," Iran continues to exert influence over shipping operations by leveraging the threat of drone and missile attacks.
According to shipping tracker Kelper, of the 166 transits through the Hormuz Strait this month, nearly half utilized Iranian-managed routes. A significant number of vessels were found to be operating with their location signals turned off, making their exact routes unclear. Only two instances of vessels confirmed using the U.S.-supported Oman route were recorded.
Shipping companies appear hesitant to use U.S. Navy-protected routes due to concerns over potential Iranian attacks. Iran and Oman are in ongoing negotiations to establish new safe routes through the Hormuz Strait, but both the U.S. and Iran maintain firm stances regarding control of the strait and conditions for reopening it.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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