We first have to secure the Strait of Hormuz to the point that people know that Iran is not in charge of it.
“ We first have to secure the Strait of Hormuz to the point that people know that Iran is not in charge of it.”
Ok, admiral, let’s hear a (realistic) plan. Please look at a map before responding.
We first have to secure the Strait of Hormuz to the point that people know that Iran is not in charge of it.
Just exactly how many times do we have to secue the Strait???
Here's a chronological compilation of every notable instance where Donald Trump or the White House has claimed or asserted US control over the Strait of Hormuz. These statements cluster around the 2026 US-Iran conflict that began on February 28, 2026.
March 23, 2026 — "Jointly controlled" with the ayatollah
Trump told reporters the waterway would be "jointly controlled. Maybe [by] me... Me and the Ayatollah, whoever the Ayatollah is".middleeasteye
March 30, 2026 — White House: strait will reopen "one way or another"
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Al Jazeera the strait would reopen either through Iranian compliance or "a coalition, including the United States, will ensure its accessibility".aljazeera
April 2, 2026 — (Counter-statement) "Other countries should take the lead"
In a national address, Trump said other nations "must manage that passage" and that the US would step back — a notable flip away from a control claim.finance.yahoo
April 12, 2026 — US will blockade the strait
Trump announced on Truth Social the US Navy would "commence the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships" entering or leaving the strait, vowing to stop Iran from controlling it (CNBC, Al Jazeera).cnbc+1
April 22–23, 2026 — "Total control"
The White House formally announced the blockade, and Trump asserted: "We have total control over the Strait [of] Hormuz. No ship enter[s] or [leaves] without the approval of the United States Navy. It is sealed tight".theguardian
May 3–5, 2026 — US will "guide ships"
Trump announced the US would begin directing vessels through the strait as a "humanitarian initiative," then briefly paused escort operations citing deal progress (Washington Post, Reuters).washingtonpost+1
May 5, 2026 — "We have total control"
Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump said: "We have total control. As you know, the blockade has been amazing".youtube
May 15, 2026 — "We control the Strait"
Aboard Air Force One after his summit with Xi, Trump said: "We control the Strait [of Hormuz]... We wiped out their armed forces, essentially".wdef
May 27, 2026 — "Nobody's going to control it... we'll watch over it"
At the White House, Trump took a more nuanced line: "Nobody's going to control it. It's international waters... We're going to watch over it" (YouTube, The Guardian).youtube
June 10, 2026 — "UNITED STATES of AMERICA CONTROLLING the Strait of Hormuz — NOT Iran"
On Truth Social, Trump claimed the US covertly moved over 100 million barrels of oil through the strait, writing the success was "due to the UNITED STATES of AMERICA CONTROLLING the Strait of Hormuz — NOT Iran".cnbc
June 24, 2026 — White House: Iran's ability to close the strait is "stripped away"
Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated US naval protection had eliminated Iran's capacity to shut the strait: "We are stripping that power away from them".cnbc
July 11, 2026 — White House demands Iran declare the strait open
The White House demanded Iran publicly state the strait is open and safe for ships.youtube
July 12, 2026 — "Iran does not control the strait"
After US strikes on 140 Iranian targets, Trump told NBC's Meet the Press the strait was open, and CENTCOM declared: "Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz. Traffic is flowing" (New York Post, BBC).bbc+1
July 13, 2026 — "We control it" / "Guardian of the Hormuz Strait"
The biggest cluster of control claims:
On Fox & Friends: "We are taking over the strait... We'll become the guardian of the strait. Maybe we'll call it the guardian angel of the strait" and "we'll probably run it" (TIME, UPI).upi+1
On Truth Social: "The U.S.A. will be, from this point forward, known as 'THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT,'" with a 20% cargo toll (Al Jazeera, BBC).bbc+1
On Newsmax: "They can make trouble... but we control it".cbsnews
At the White House: "We're controlling the Strait" (BBC, Türkiye Today).bbc+1
July 14, 2026 — "We will end up just controlling the whole thing"
Trump said the US was "putting the blockade back" and that "in the end we will end up just controlling the whole thing".youtube
July 16, 2026 — Rhetoric continues
BBC reported Trump was keeping up the "we control it" rhetoric, though he had dropped the 20% toll idea in favor of trade deals with Gulf states.youtube
The clearest, unambiguous "we control it" statements came on April 23, May 5, May 15, June 10, and July 13–14, 2026, with White House officials (Rubio, Wright) reinforcing the message on March 30 and June 24. Trump's stance has oscillated — at times (April 2, May 27) he backed away from a US control claim, only to return to it as the conflict flared. Iran has consistently rejected every US assertion of control, insisting the strait is its territory.