US President Donald Trump has claimed that the United States now has “almost total control” of the Strait of Hormuz, while saying Iran’s economy is “totally collapsing” amid escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump rejected reports that he was trying to force Iran back to the negotiating table, saying he was satisfied with the current US position.
“I’m not trying to force Iran to the bargaining table, as ABC Fake News reported,” Trump wrote.
“I couldn’t care less if they sign a worthless, to them, agreement,” he added, saying he preferred the situation with the US having “almost total control of the Hormuz Strait” and Iran’s economy “totally collapsing.”
Trump asks Iranian people to ‘rise up’
Trump also appeared to directly call on the Iranian public to challenge the country’s leadership.
“They are just playing out the inevitable. When are the Iranian people going to rise up and fight?” he wrote.
The comments mark a sharp escalation in Trump’s rhetoric toward Tehran, combining claims of US control over the strategic waterway with pressure on Iran’s domestic leadership.
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical route for global energy shipments, making control of the waterway strategically important for both Iran and the United States.
Trump’s remarks come amid an intensifying US-Iran confrontation, with Washington increasing military and economic pressure on Tehran and Iran vowing to respond to US actions.
US says it completed latest strikes on Iran
The developments followed the US Central Command’s announcement that American forces had completed a wave of strikes against Iranian military targets.
CENTCOM said the strikes targeted air-defence sites, mine-laying capabilities and communications facilities, among other targets.
The US military said the operation followed recent “attempted attacks” by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and US service members.
Iran claims strike on US base in Jordan
Iran’s IRNA news agency claimed that the IRGC Aerospace Force responded with a major ballistic missile operation against Prince Hassan Air Base in Jordan.
IRNA said the attack targeted hangars housing RQ-4 and MQ-9 UAVs, claiming several drones were destroyed and multiple pilots and flight crew members were killed.
The claims could not be independently verified.
Trump threatens stronger retaliation
The latest escalation followed Trump’s announcement that Washington had launched a fresh wave of strikes against Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump said the strikes were carried out in retaliation for Iran’s alleged attempt to place sea mines in the strategic waterway.
He warned that any Iranian retaliation against what he called a “very justified attack” would draw an even stronger US response, while also suggesting that a much larger attack against Tehran could still be ahead.
The latest confrontation has once again put the Strait of Hormuz at the centre of the US-Iran conflict, raising concerns over commercial shipping, energy supplies and wider regional security.
