U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States has control over the Strait of Hormuz and is prepared to launch additional military strikes against Iran if necessary, as renewed fighting between Washington and Tehran continues to raise tensions across the Middle East.
Speaking at a Republican gathering in Dallas, Trump said U.S. forces maintain a “very strong control” over the strategic waterway through which a significant share of the world’s oil exports passes. He repeated his recent suggestion that the strait could be renamed the “Trump Strait,” describing it as a reflection of U.S. military dominance in the region.
Trump also claimed recent U.S. strikes destroyed Iranian radar systems, missile launchers and a missile project that he said was designed to deploy naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz. He argued the attacks were intended to prevent Iran from rebuilding military capabilities that could threaten international shipping or U.S. forces in the Gulf.
“We cannot allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said. “If they ever got one, they would use it.” He added that he was prepared to make the same military decisions again if faced with similar circumstances.
The White House has repeatedly described its military campaign as targeting Iranian military infrastructure rather than civilians. U.S. officials say the latest strikes focused on air-defense systems, missile sites and maritime assets linked to Iran’s military operations near the Strait of Hormuz.
The renewed confrontation follows months of escalating hostilities between the United States and Iran, with both sides exchanging missile, drone and air strikes across the Gulf region. The latest escalation ended a period of relative calm and prompted heightened security measures around key shipping routes.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most strategically important waterways, connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and carrying roughly one-fifth of global oil consumption. Commercial shipping through the strait has fallen sharply during recent hostilities, while several energy companies have rerouted or delayed cargoes because of security concerns.
Trump also defended the broader military campaign in an interview with Fox News, saying he had no regrets about authorizing strikes against Iran and predicting the conflict would end “very quickly.” He argued that Iran’s military and nuclear capabilities had been severely weakened by U.S. operations.
However, Iran has rejected Trump’s claims of U.S. control over the Strait of Hormuz and maintains that it retains sovereignty and military capabilities in the Gulf. Iranian officials have accused Washington of violating international law through repeated strikes on Iranian territory and military facilities.
The latest exchange of attacks has increased concerns about regional stability, global energy markets and the possibility of a wider conflict involving U.S. allies and Iranian-backed armed groups across the Middle East.
