President Donald Trump said the United States has cleared all mines from the Strait of Hormuz and now controls the waterway completely, renewing his demand that Iran pay compensation to Washington.
Trump made the comments while signing a presidential order limiting recommended doses of children's vaccines. Speaking about Iran, he said the country may cause a fuss, but it is broke and has no money.
Iran is completely bankrupt, Trump said, adding that Tehran does not pay its soldiers and that inflation in the country stands at 309 percent.
US Navy in control of the strait
On the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said the US has cleared mines across the entire waterway. He told reporters they may have heard about it already, or perhaps not, before stressing that the US controls the strait 100 percent.
Asked by a reporter when the Strait of Hormuz would be open, Trump replied: "It's open now. It's open now. The only one that has control of the Strait of Hormuz right now is the US Navy," according to a video posted by journalist Aaron Rupar on August 10, 2026.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said the US Navy is currently the only party in control of the strait. He also threatened Iran, saying the United States has the ability to escalate pressure further.
Trump further claimed that Iranians have killed hundreds of thousands of people and are now paying the price for it.
Demand for compensation
Earlier the same day, Trump said he is demanding compensation from Iran in future negotiations.
The remarks followed a decision by Tehran to link compensation for damage caused by the war that the United States and Israel launched in late February to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump said the issue of compensation was never raised in any of the negotiations or meetings between the two sides. He said Tehran has nonetheless been demanding compensation from Washington for war damage since the early weeks of the conflict.
He added that Iran should take responsibility for the destruction and deaths it caused among the people of Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Gaza.
