US President Donald Trump says the United States has total control over the Strait of Hormuz, a critical sea passage for crude oil.
Control for the waterway has been contested since the war between the Iran and US/Israel broke out in February.
Iran’s de-facto blockade of the strait crippled oil flow worldwide, hiking prices and forcing governments to take hard-biting energy conservation measures.
A ceasefire deal between the warring countries led to Iran declaring the Strait of Hormuz open to commercial traffic. But that decision was reversed less than 24 hours later.
Iran accused the US of “piracy” and “sea robbery” following Trump’s decision to retain the blockade imposed by American naval forces announced that week, despite the ceasefire.
Iran has yet to announce a reopening of the strait while US naval forces maintain a heavy presence around the waterway.
In a Truth Social post on Thursday, Trump claimed American control over the passage, saying Iran is having “a very hard time” figuring out who their leader is.
“We have total control over the Strait of Hormuz. No ship can enter or leave without the approval of the United States Navy,” he said.
Trump added that the strait would be “Sealed up Tight” until such time as Iran is able to make a deal.
In a separate post, Trump noted that he ordered the US navy to shoot and kill any boat putting “mines” in the waters of the Strait of Hormuz.
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive weapon placed in water to damage or destroy surface ships or submarines.
It is not clear why Trump issued the warning.
Meanwhile, Iran has yet to respond to Trump’s comments about the US controlling the Strait of Hormuz.
