ISTANBUL: Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters on Thursday (Aug 13) dismissed US claims of full control over the Strait of Hormuz as "baseless lies".
Citing a local broadcaster, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported the military command saying that the strategic waterway remains under Tehran's control.
"The false US claims regarding the normal passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, which reflect the helplessness and confusion of that country's military, are nothing but falsehoods and baseless lies.
"The Strait of Hormuz, as before, remains under the full management and control of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” a spokesperson said in a statement carried by Iranian state broadcaster IRIB.
It added that no commercial vessel or oil tanker can or will be able to transit the strait safely without the authorisation and supervision of Iran's armed forces.
On Wednesday (Aug 12), US President Donald Trump said that Washington maintains absolute authority over the Strait of Hormuz, asserting that American forces will likely maintain their presence in the strategic waterway.
"The US has total control over the Strait of Hormuz. I think we will keep it," Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.
He characterised the ongoing naval blockade as a "wall of steel" and said that "there is nothing Iran can do about it".
The West Asia has remained tense since the US-Israeli war on Iran 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 US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding in June and launched negotiations toward a final agreement.
However, the talks later stalled over disagreements on security guarantees and freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most strategic routes for global energy supplies and trade. — Bernama-Anadolu
