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President Donald Trump speaks with reporters in flight on Air Force One after landing at U.S. Air Force Base at RAF Mildenhall, in Suffolk Eastern England, Wednesday, July 8, 2026.

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FACT FOCUS: A look at US and Iranian claims of control over the Strait of Hormuz

FACT FOCUS: A look at US and Iranian claims of control over the Strait of Hormuz

A focal point of the Iran war is increasingly about who controls the Strait of Hormuz — a waterway that for decades was a relatively safe transit route for Middle East oil and natural gas supplies. Iran says an interim ceasefire gave it the right to establish the terms under which ships traversed the strait. To exert control over the waterway and gain leverage in negotiations with the U.S., it has threatened and fired upon vessels that did not stick to its preferred route. President Donald Trump sought Monday to tip the scales by reimposing a blockade on Iran. He said the U.S. controls the strait and would charge fees for safe passage — essentially borrowing from the Iranian playbook.