The so-called Strait of the Persian Gulf Authority (PSA) rejected Donald Trump’s statements that the United States has “absolute control” over the Strait of Hormuz, insisting that the strategically important waterway remains closed and will not reopen until Tehran’s terms are accepted.
Data on commercial shipping reflect the dramatic decline in traffic: On Tuesday, only eight merchant ships passed through the Strait, whereas before the war began, the daily average was 130 to 140.
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“The Straits remain blocked”
The new Authority stated via X that the repeated statements and claims by U.S. officials regarding the lifting of Iran’s blockade of the Strait do not change “the reality” on the ground.
“The Strait of Hormuz remains blockaded and will not reopen until all of Iran’s conditions are met,” it said.
This statement is a direct response to the U.S. president, who has repeatedly declared that Washington has full control over this strategically important waterway.
“We have absolute control over the Strait of Hormuz. We have complete control over them; no one else, just us,” Trump told reporters on Monday, while repeating the same claim on Wednesday via Truth Social.
From 140 ships a day to just eight
The dispute over the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most important maritime routes for global hydrocarbon trade, is believed to have sparked the recent resurgence of conflict in the Middle East.
Before the war, which broke out with the U.S.-Israeli attack against the Islamic Republic on February 28, ship traffic through the Strait was practically unimpeded. Two days later, Iran moved to close the Strait with attacks on ships and threats.
According to data from the commercial shipping monitoring service Kpler, on Tuesday—the last day for which data is available—only eight commercial ships transited the Strait.
This is the lowest number of the week and the lowest since August 5, and it is significantly below the average for the previous ten days, which was approximately 12 ships per day.
Of the ships that entered the Strait, seven followed the route required by Tehran, along the Iranian coast.
The difference compared to the pre-war period is enormous, as back then an average of 130 to 140 commercial ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz daily.
Source: Protothema.gr
