Trump claims US has ‘total control’ of Strait of Hormuz as Iran prepares new restrictions

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he does not trust Iran and claimed that the United States currently has “total control” over the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran’s parliament prepares legislation to tighten restrictions on vessels entering the Gulf.

Trump says US controls the strategic waterway

Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland after returning from Ohio, Trump dismissed the suggestion that he trusted Iran.

“I don't trust Iran. Why — are you saying I trust Iran!? I'm the last person to trust Iran,” Trump said.

“They've lied to me constantly,” he added.

Trump also claimed that the US currently has full control of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global energy supplies.

“We have total control over the Hormuz Strait right now. They don't have control. We have total control. We own it,” he said.

Iran moves to tighten control over vessels

Trump’s remarks came as Iran’s parliament prepares a bill that would restrict military and commercial vessels from countries Tehran considers “hostile” from entering the Gulf without Iranian authorization.

Ibrahim Azizi, chairman of parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said the proposed legislation would be among Iran’s most important and advanced laws since the nationalization of the country’s oil industry, according to Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency.

Under the proposed legislation, military and commercial vessels belonging to “hostile” countries would require Iranian approval to enter the Gulf, Azizi said.

He added that the bill aims to strengthen Iran’s authority and control over the Strait of Hormuz.

On Aug. 9, committee spokesman Hassan Ghashghavi said the committee had approved a bill aimed at securing the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf while promoting sustainable development in the two areas.

Tensions continue over the Strait

The developments come amid heightened tensions in the Middle East following the US-Israeli war on Iran that began in late February.

Tehran and Washington have yet to reach a final agreement to end the confrontation, while the closure of the Strait of Hormuz continues to disrupt global energy supply chains.

The waterway is one of the world’s most strategically important maritime routes, linking the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.

Source:AA