Strait of Hormuz remains open, Trump states

President Donald Trump asserted on Sunday that the Strait of Hormuz remains open, directly responding to a journalist's question about the strategic waterway's status amidst ongoing U.S.-Iran tensions. When pressed by NBC News' Kristen Welker about conflicting reports from Iran and U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) regarding the strait's accessibility, Trump firmly stated, "The strait is still open."

Trump cut short Welker's question, indicating a desire to respect the recent passing of Senator Lindsey Graham. "I don't want to talk about it because I want to honor Lindsey Graham's passing. So I don't want to talk about it. I said that before this call," Trump explained. Senator Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, died unexpectedly on Saturday evening at the age of 71, reportedly due to a heart attack.

Earlier on Sunday, President Trump had ordered U.S. flags at the White House to be flown at half-staff in honor of the late senator, who was a close ally. Trump also gave a similar response when questioned about the conflict by Jake Tapper of CNN on Sunday morning. The Strait of Hormuz has been a point of contention, having been previously closed by Iran on February 28 before subsequent reopenings and closings related to the West Asia conflict.

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The strait is still open and I don't want to talk about it because I want to honor Lindsey Graham's passing. So I don't want to talk about it. I said that before this call.