Iran has denied US President Donald Trump’s assertion that Washington has “total control” over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway through which one-fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas is shipped during peacetime. Mohsen Rezaie, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, told China’s ambassador to Tehran that the strait will remain closed until the US alters its behavior and accepts Iran’s conditions.

Meanwhile, tensions in the region have intensified. The US military reported that a Navy MH-60 helicopter fired two Hellfire missiles at a Panama-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman after the vessel allegedly tried to breach the US blockade of Iranian ports. Additionally, Yemeni authorities reported that six people were killed in a Houthi attack on a Saudi cargo vessel in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, marking the first fatalities from Houthi attacks on shipping since the US-Israel conflict with Iran began.

On August 10th, US President Trump declared he would seek compensation from Iran for deaths and injuries linked to decades of conflicts and attacks, following Iran’s recent demands for reparations related to the US-Israel war. However, US media have reported concerns that the country may be running low on key weapons, including air defense interceptors used in Patriot and THAAD systems, potentially endangering US forces and allies in the region.

The Strait of Hormuz remains a critical flashpoint in stalled peace talks between the US and Iran, with its management unresolved amid ongoing geopolitical strife.

Sources