Ships anchored in the Strait of Hormuz on Aug. 10, 2026. (Ali Saeedi / Getty Images)
By Nick Givas August 28, 2026 at 8:56am
President Donald Trump declared victory Thursday regarding the Strait of Hormuz, saying that it’s fully open, leaving Iran with very little bargaining power in its conflict with the United States.
“That sucker is open. The Iranian response is very mild. They don’t want us to go back at them. That’s the whole ball game. The rest doesn’t matter,” Trump told Axios during a phone interview.
The vital shipping waterway has been a major issue for the U.S. since the start of the war back in February, as Iranian disruptions and closures have caused fuel and gas prices to spike.
In addition, Iran laid mines throughout the strait, while constantly creating uncertainty among global markets by rejecting peace deals that were thought to be finalized.
American officials said the military has slowly regained its leverage and that Iran has lost most of its control over the strait, as U.S. forces currently control most of it and have swept many of the mines.
CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper delivered a video address Thursday night, saying, “The U.S. military has achieved a major milestone in the Strait of Hormuz. We have successfully cleared sea mines in the strait’s international shipping lanes that were laid months ago by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Internationally recognized transit routes in the strait are free of Iranian sea mines, thanks to the incredible work of the U.S. military.”
Update from CENTCOM Commander: pic.twitter.com/osPbltjJ1C
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) August 28, 2026
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Cooper added, “CENTCOM forces have demonstrated time and time again that we are laser-focused on this mission. We remain vigilant, lethal, and resolved.”
Trump posted an update on Truth Social Thursday about Iran being ready to negotiate, writing, “I don’t want to meet, they do. In fact, they are begging to make a deal.”
White House envoy Steve Witkoff is reportedly still working with the Qataris and other mediators to make that happen, according to Axios, with negotiators opting to see if economic sanctions, the naval blockade, and political pressure will bring about better terms for the United States.
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Nick Givas has been a reporter for The Daily Caller, Fox News, and served as Managing Editor of the Newsroom at Project Veritas. He’s also hosted three different podcasts, served as a Congressional Communications Director, and had his work featured in The Federalist, Daily Signal, New York Post, and Real Clear Politics.
