US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he does not trust Iran and reiterated that Washington maintains "total control" over the Strait of Hormuz, warning Tehran it could be "blown away" if it takes further action.
Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews, Trump said, "I don't trust Iran. I'm the last person who trusts Iran. They've lied to me constantly. We have total control over the Strait of Hormuz right now. They don't have control. We have total control. We own it."
He added that the US remained in a strong strategic position despite ongoing tensions with Tehran. "And at some point, maybe they'll do something and then they get blown away. Right now, we're in a very good position," he said.
Trump also said Iran was no longer "the bully of the Middle East," underscoring what he described as a shift in the regional balance of power following the recent conflict between the US, Israel and Iran.
The remarks come after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran had proven itself a "tough and invincible power" against US and Israeli pressure, adding that Washington's posture had shifted from demanding "unconditional surrender" to seeking negotiations within weeks of the war beginning.
Trump's comments also follow his earlier statement that the US was only "semi-negotiating" with Iran, as he pointed to the country's economic troubles, including high inflation and depleted finances.
The Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global oil shipments, has seen disrupted traffic amid the standoff, contributing to volatility in energy markets.
Iranian officials have maintained that the waterway will remain largely closed until the US meets a set of conditions, including lifting sanctions, ending its blockade of Iranian ports, and a ceasefire in Lebanon, broadly mirroring terms of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding signed in June.
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