Iran Counters Trump: “Warships Cannot Seize the Strait of Hormuz”
Iran rejects Trump's claim over control of the strategic waterway and says decisions on opening or closing the Strait of Hormuz remain in Iranian hands.
TEHRAN, August 15, 2026: Iran has strongly rejected US President Donald Trump's remarks claiming that the United States would gain complete control over the Strait of Hormuz after defeating Iran in the ongoing conflict.
Iranian officials said the strategic waterway remains under Iranian control and warned that the deployment of US warships would not enable Washington to seize it.
IRAN'S RESPONSE
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the Strait of Hormuz would remain under Iran's control and that no country could occupy it.
He said the decision on whether the waterway should remain open or closed would depend on Iran's decision.
Gharibabadi also said Iran would continue its blockade of the Strait until the United States abandoned what he described as its "illusions" and accepted defeat.
“WE WILL NOT BOW TO MILITARY PRESSURE”
Gharibabadi said Iran would not be intimidated by threats or surrender to military displays.
He argued that deploying warships would not be sufficient for the United States to take control of the strategically important waterway.
IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER'S CLAIM
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also rejected US claims that ships were freely travelling through the Strait of Hormuz.
Araghchi said the waterway remained completely under Iranian control, as it had been previously.
He claimed that no commercial vessel would be permitted to pass through the Strait without approval from Iran's armed forces.
According to Araghchi, the United States was making incorrect assessments about the situation surrounding Hormuz.
WHAT DID TRUMP SAY?
Trump reportedly said at a media conference on Saturday that the United States would defeat Iran in the war.
He further said that after Iran's defeat, the United States would declare the Strait of Hormuz as US territory, according to the report.
Trump also said Iran's nuclear capability posed a long-term danger and that destroying that capability was among the objectives behind the US military action.
WHY THE STRAIT MATTERS
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most strategically important maritime routes.
Any prolonged disruption to shipping through the waterway could have significant consequences for global energy supplies, oil markets and international trade.
The latest exchange therefore marks a sharp escalation in rhetoric between Washington and Tehran over control of the waterway.
KEY POINTS
Iran rejected Trump's claim regarding US control of the Strait of Hormuz.
Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said warships cannot seize the waterway.
Iran says it controls decisions regarding the opening or closure of the Strait.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi disputed US claims of free navigation.
Iran says commercial vessels require approval from its armed forces to pass.
Trump said the US would control the Strait after defeating Iran, according to the supplied report.
Trump also cited Iran's nuclear capability as a reason for the conflict.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
The dispute over the Strait of Hormuz could remain a major flashpoint between Iran and the United States. Any change in shipping access could have wider implications for regional security, energy markets and global trade.