'That Sucker Is Open': Trump Says Iran Has Lost Leverage Over Strait of Hormuz Amid Blockade

New Delhi: US President Donald Trump has declared that the Strait of Hormuz is effectively open, claiming Iran has lost much of its leverage over the crucial energy chokepoint as American forces clear suspected Iranian sea mines and Washington maintains pressure on Tehran’s ports.

“That sucker is open. The Iranian response is very mild. They don’t want us to go back at them. That’s the whole ball game. The rest doesn’t matter,” Trump told Axios in a phone interview on Thursday.

Trump’s remarks came after the US military announced that internationally recognised shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz had been cleared of Iranian sea mines. US Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper described the development as a “major milestone”, saying American Navy divers, SEALs and aircraft had spent months clearing the routes.

The US military said more than 200 mine-like objects had been removed from the main shipping lane, though only 11 were confirmed as actual mines. However, the extent of the clearance operation remains disputed, with people familiar with US assessments telling Bloomberg that not all of the estimated 80-150 mines believed to have been laid by Iran may have been removed. US officials have rejected those estimates as outdated.

Tanker Traffic Still Below Pre-War Levels

Despite Washington's assertion that the waterway is open, commercial traffic remains significantly below pre-war levels.

US officials estimate that around 20-30 tankers are currently travelling through the southern channel of the Strait each night, carrying approximately 9-10 million barrels of oil. That is about half the traffic recorded before the war. Washington wants to increase the figure to at least 50 ships a night by mid-September and eventually restore 60-70% of pre-war oil exports.

Shipping data, however, shows that traffic remains volatile. Preliminary figures from ship-tracking firm Kpler showed only seven commodity vessels transited the Strait on Thursday, compared with 17 the previous day and a 10-day average of 15. The figures could change because some vessels turn off their tracking transponders while crossing the waterway.

The US has also claimed that Iranian attacks on vessels have become less effective. According to an American official cited by Axios, Iran had struck around 2% of ships passing through the Strait over the previous month, with most reported attacks missing their targets.

US Maintains Pressure On Iranian Ports

While shipping lanes have reopened, Washington continues to maintain what US officials describe as a blockade targeting Iranian ports, adding another layer of economic pressure on Tehran.

The strategy marks a broader shift in the US campaign. While Washington initially focused on degrading Iran’s missile capabilities and dismantling its remaining nuclear infrastructure, control of the Strait of Hormuz and preventing Tehran from using the waterway as economic leverage have increasingly become central objectives.

The UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait have joined the US-protected shipping effort, while Saudi Arabia is expected to follow. Washington also hopes Qatar will eventually send liquefied natural gas tankers through the protected corridor.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington had guided 130 million barrels of oil through the Strait over the previous 14 days.

Iran Sets Conditions For Full Reopening

Tehran, however, maintains that normal maritime traffic will depend on several conditions being met.

Iranian security chief Mohsen Rezaei said Tehran was preparing a list of conditions for reopening the waterway after mediators sought its demands. Iran has called for an end to the war, the lifting of US sanctions and the removal of the American blockade. Tehran has also sought compensation for wartime damage.

Iran and Oman are separately working on arrangements for a temporary shipping corridor through the Strait. Tehran has also maintained that it controls the waterway, making the issue a key sticking point in diplomatic efforts with Washington.

Diplomacy Continues Amid Standoff

The latest developments have coincided with renewed diplomatic activity involving Iran, Oman, Qatar and Pakistan.

Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani travelled to Tehran on Thursday and pressed Iran to respect freedom of navigation, while Pakistan’s army chief travelled to Tehran earlier in the week as part of efforts to revive mediation between Washington and Tehran. Oman’s foreign minister has also visited the Iranian capital.

Trump, however, has publicly rejected the suggestion that Washington is seeking negotiations with Tehran.

“I don’t want to meet; they do. In fact, they are begging to make a deal,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Thursday.

The Strait of Hormuz links the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea and is one of the world’s most important energy corridors. Large volumes of crude oil, petroleum products and liquefied natural gas from Gulf producers pass through the waterway.

While the US says key international shipping lanes are now free of Iranian mines, the gap between Washington’s declaration that the Strait is open and the still-limited flow of commercial vessels highlights the uncertainty surrounding the waterway.

For now, the Strait of Hormuz remains a key military, economic and diplomatic flashpoint in the wider US-Iran conflict.

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