President Donald Trump has asserted that the United States has total control over the Strait of Hormuz. This claim comes as Washington and Tehran harden their stances in deadlocked negotiations over the waterway.
In contrast, Iran maintains that it effectively controls much of the waterway and intends to impose a toll system in response to the US war launched by Trump on February 28. The Persian Strait Gulf Authority stated that the strait remains blocked and will not be reopened until Iran's conditions are accepted and the US changes its behavior.
The ongoing conflict has caused global energy prices to rise. On Tuesday, only eight vessels crossed the strait, a sharp decline from the 130 to 140 vessels that crossed prior to the war. Iran has utilized limited bursts of firepower to make the waterway too risky to cross while peace talks continue to stall.