Iran psychological warfare from Putin’s capital? Trump gets contradictory signals amid ship seizure

Iran’s envoy in Moscow is trying to project calm at a very tense moment, insisting that despite the U.S. seizure of an Iranian cargo ship, commercial traffic can still safely move through the Strait of Hormuz under Tehran’s protection. He points to what he calls a new legal and security framework for navigation, saying Iran now guarantees safe passage for ships that coordinate with its authorities, even as navies and insurers grow more nervous about the conflict spilling over. His comments, carried by Russian and regional media, land just as Washington’s dramatic boarding and capture of the Iranian‑flagged vessel has sharpened scrutiny of every tanker and boxship transiting these waters. At the same time, the envoy claims weeks of U.S.-Israeli strikes have failed to engineer regime change and have instead hardened domestic unity inside Iran, framing the country as more consolidated in the face of outside pressure. Yet these reassurances about a “safe” Hormuz come against the backdrop of more than 20 vessels reportedly transiting the chokepoint right before the U.S. seizure movement that both supports Tehran’s claims of control and underscores just how much is at stake if this fragile shipping corridor tips back into chaos.