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US President Donald Trump on Wednesday again insisted that the United States has full control of the Strait of Hormuz and intends to keep it that way.
Writing on his Truth Social account, Trump said "the United States has total and complete control of the Strait of Hormuz" and added, "I think we will keep it that way."
He then said the US maritime blockade against Iran "is being called a 'wall of steel' by everybody," and that "Iran can do nothing about it."
Trump said Iran has "no navy, no air force," that its remaining soldiers "are not being paid," and that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps "has been decimated and is on the run." He added that the country's leadership is "in a state of uncertainty, to put it mildly."
He went on to say that Iran has "no money" and that the country "is broken," with nothing left but "fake news and 300% inflation," and that "things are getting worse."
"Iran is all talk and no action," Trump wrote. "They are no longer the bully of the Middle East."
The remarks came as negotiations between Iran and regional mediators over reopening the Strait of Hormuz continue, and are seen as part of an ongoing war of words with Tehran, which has insisted it holds effective control of the waterway.
While mediators have suggested that talks with Iran over the strait have made considerable progress, both Washington and Tehran have continued to project hard-line stances publicly, keeping up the pressure on each other.
mokiya@heraldcorp.com
