Whose Hormuz? Mojtaba says ‘painful blows’ forced ‘enemies’ out of West Asia; US replies with 'no Iran navy'

Who controls the Strait of Hormuz? US, Iran trade claims as Araghchi meets mediators to discuss the key waterway amid stalled talks.

Control of the Strait of Hormuz has emerged as one of the key issues in the ongoing conflict between the US and Iran. While negotiations remain stalled and mediator Qatar is working hard to bring the two parties back to the table to discuss the Strait of Hormuz, among other key points of contention, Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Monday issued another statement claiming that “enemies” had been forced out of West Asia and were no longer “roaming” around the Strait of Hormuz, state media reported, according to an AFP report.

US says Tehran's claims that 'enemies' have been forced out of West Asia and Hormuz is under Iran's control are false. (Reuters)

Iranian Army Chief of Staff and Deputy Coordinator Habibollah Sayyari also claimed that naval forces operating under the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) maintain total control over the Persian Gulf and the strategic Strait of Hormuz, Anadolu Agency reported, citing Iranian state media.

However, the US military soon issued a fact-check, calling Tehran's claims false.

What Mojtaba said

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei praised his country's fighters for what he described as preventing “enemy forces” from “roaming freely” in the Strait of Hormuz, according to state media.

Khamenei said in a message carried by state broadcaster on Monday that Iran's enemies now “do not come” closer to the strait than the Arabian Sea, which is part of the Indian Ocean.

“Today, having suffered painful blows at the hands of valiant fighters and the guardians of the Strait of Hormuz, they (the enemies) do not venture beyond the Arabian Sea,” Khamenei said in the written statement attributed to him, without explicitly mentioning the United States.

“Whenever they have braved this risk, they have only brought harm upon themselves. It will not be long before the Arabian Sea, too, would rid itself of their presence,” he added.

Khamenei's statement came on the back of Sayyari's claims that the Strait of Hormuz was under Iranian control.

CENTCOM dismisses claim as false

However, the US military issued a statement on Monday dismissing Tehran's claims over the Strait of Hormuz as false.

Terming the Iranian assertion false, US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated on social media platform X that Iran exercises no operational authority or naval dominance over the critical energy transit corridor.

“CLAIM: A senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander said today that Iran has full control over the Strait of Hormuz through Iran’s ‘navy.’ This is FALSE,” CENTCOM said in a statement posted on X.

Rebutting Tehran's assertions regarding its maritime strength and territorial dominance, the US military declared that Iranian naval capabilities had been neutralised by American forces.

“FACT: Iran has no navy because American forces sank it. And Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz as evidenced by the thousands of ships that have passed through freely along with more than 1 billion barrels of oil just over the past few months,” CENTCOM added.

Araghchi to meet mediators in New York

The development comes amid a possible meeting between Iran and mediators in New York on Monday, according to multiple reports.

According to an ISNA report, cited by ANI, Araghchi, along with an Iranian delegation, will meet mediators on Monday morning to discuss the “latest proposals and views on the current situation”.

This comes days after US President Donald Trump rejected an Iranian proposal linked to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz as the conflict in West Asia continues. No representative from the US side is expected to attend the meeting, according to ISNA.