Competing claims over Strait of Hormuz control persist as ship traffic remains sharply below pre-conflict levels

Shared facts · Agreed across sources

Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains significantly below pre-conflict levels, with AIS-detected transits approximately 90% below pre-conflict baselines, according to a UK Maritime Trade Operations overview. The United States and Iran have issued competing claims about who controls the waterway, with both sides asserting authority over the passage. Kpler, a trade intelligence firm, reported 13 confirmed crossings on August 13, a 44% day-on-day increase from nine.

1 source

Single source · Not corroborated

Photo: Who controls the Strait of Hormuz, where traffic declined amid the Iran war · via Fox News

AIS transits ~90% below baseline

Traffic declining since June 24-26 peak

13 crossings on Aug. 13

Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has remained heavily reduced more than five months into the conflict between the U.S. and Iran, according to AIS vessel-tracking data cited by the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) voluntary reporting area overview. The UKMTO report noted that operators are "increasingly favouring the Northern route following projectile attacks, ongoing security concerns, and heightened enforcement activity," and that traffic has been "declining since the 24-26 June peak."

Trump: "Total control" claim

President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social Wednesday that "The U.S.A. has total control over the Strait of Hormuz," describing the U.S. naval blockade as a "WALL OF STEEL" and asserting that Iran's military and financial capacity has been severely diminished. A White House official told Fox News Digital that "nothing gets through to Iran, and nothing will get through, unless Iran agrees to a deal," while adding that "the Strait is open for everyone else."

Iran: strait still blocked

Basij: Iran controls passage

Iran disputed those characterizations directly. The Islamic Republic of Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority posted on X Wednesday that "the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked and will not be reopened until Iran's conditions are accepted." The newly appointed leader of Iran's Basij paramilitary unit stated Thursday that the passage is "under Iran's control and management," according to Reuters. Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi posted on X Thursday warning of U.S. "miscalculation" on the strait.