Iran, US trade barbs over Hormuz Strait control amid conflict

Iran and the United States traded barbs on Saturday over a conflict, with Tehran asserting its control over the Strait of Hormuz and Washington vowing further financial pressure.

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This strait will be opened and closed only under Iran's command, and so long as you do not accept the reality of defeat and stop indulging in fantasies, Iran will continue to enforce the blockade.

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi declared on X that the strategic waterway, which handles a fifth of global oil, would "be opened and closed only under Iran's command." He added that the US must accept "the reality of defeat" for shipping to resume.

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The Strait of Hormuz cannot be seized by a tweet or an aircraft carrier, by issuing an order or by delivering an election speech.

President Donald Trump, speaking at a rally in New York, urged Americans to tolerate slightly higher gasoline prices, stating it was worth the cost to prevent "a very evil country" from acquiring a nuclear weapon. The average US gasoline price has risen 29% from a year earlier, a trend impacting inflation and becoming a point of contention in the upcoming congressional elections.

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paying "a tiny little bit more for your gasoline" is worth the cost of ensuring "a very evil country" could not have a nuclear weapon

Despite Iran's defiant stance, the conflict is also taking an economic toll at home. President Masoud Pezeshkian attributed high inflation to the US blockade of Iranian ports and sanctions on oil exports. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicated that more sanctions against Iran would be announced next week.

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What we're doing is a great service for the world, not only for ourselves ... and we're really doing a great job