News blog about the war in the Middle East
Trump: Strait of Hormuz is ours – new warning to Iran
Updated August 12, 2026 – 7:22 amReading time: 26 minutes
Iran continues to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz – a British authority reports. Donald Trump sees it differently. All developments in the news blog.
Trump warns Iran: Strait of Hormuz is ours
There are still very few merchant ships sailing through what is actually from Iran blocked Strait of Hormuz – but the US government continues to claim full control of the strait. “She’s ours,” said President Donald Trump in front of reporters. At some point the Iranians “may do something and then they will be swept away.” The USA are in a very good position at the moment. “We have complete control of the Strait of Hormuz. They have no control.”
The British Maritime Safety Authority (UKMTO) reported on Platform There is still a risk of floating or unmapped mines. Merchant ships continued to operate at a reduced level.
Trump went on to say he doesn’t trust Iran. “You constantly lied to me.” Thanks to the US-led war, the Islamic Republic is no longer the “tyrant in the Middle East.” The day before, the Republican had claimed that after mine clearance, the strait would be navigable again for ships and would be “100 percent” controlled by the USA.
Iran did not immediately respond to the statements. Most recently, the leadership in Tehran made the opening of the sea route dependent on concessions from the USA and its allies and declared its intention to charge fees for passage through the strait.
US helicopter fires on tanker in Gulf of Oman
The US military has fired on a tanker trying to break the American blockade on Iranian ports. An MH-60 helicopter fired two Hellfire missiles at the Panamanian-flagged cargo ship “M/V Vela Nova” as it was heading toward an Iranian port, US regional command Centcom said on X. The crew had previously ignored “repeated warnings”.
It was initially unclear whether people were injured or killed in the incident. The British Maritime Safety Authority (UKMTO) had previously reported an incident in the Gulf of Oman. It was said that a container ship and armed forces were involved without naming a country.
The USA has been blocking Iranian ports and coastal areas again since mid-July. The aim of the blockade is, among other things, to deny Tehran revenue from oil exports. Ships will not be allowed to sail to or from Iranian ports. As a result, ships were repeatedly attacked and tankers were forced to change course.
