Trump: 'United States Controls the Strait of Hormuz, Not Iran'
Trump says the US, not Iran, controls the Strait of Hormuz, disclosing a secret mission that moved 100M barrels of oil and 200 ships through the chokepoint as crude holds near $90.
President Donald Trump declared on Wednesday that the United States, not Iran, controls the Strait of Hormuz, disclosing a previously secret US military operation that he says moved more than 100 million barrels of oil and 200 commercial ships through the chokepoint. The statement, posted on Truth Social and echoed in the Oval Office, lands as Washington and Tehran continue exchanging blows and ceasefire talks remain stalled.
What Trump actually said
Trump wrote that he directed the US military last month to execute a ‘secret mission’ to support oil tankers and commercial ships through the Strait. He claimed the effort resulted in more than 100 million barrels of oil reaching the open market and 200 ships transiting safely.
He then escalated the rhetoric: This wildly successful effort is because the UNITED STATES of AMERICA CONTROLS the Strait of Hormuz — NOT Iran. Their military is defeated, and their economy is lost. Trump added that Iran had ‘figured it out,’ which is why he was disclosing the operation now.
Why this matters for oil
Trump credited the clandestine exports with keeping oil prices near $90 per barrel rather than surging above $200, framing the operation as a price-suppression tool as much as a military one. Roughly 20% of global petroleum, about 20 million barrels per day, moved through Hormuz before the war.
RBC Capital Markets’ Helima Croft noted ship traffic through Hormuz remains well below prewar levels, meaning the world is still losing significant volumes of oil every day. JPMorgan estimated in a June 4 note that around 2 million barrels per day may be moving on tankers running with transponders switched off.
Do you want to see how to make more plays? Do you want to find gains yourself?
Unusual Whales helps you find market opportunities through our market tide, historical options flow, GEX, and much, much more.
Create a free account here to start conquering the market with Unusual Whales.
The military reality is murkier
A US defense official told reporters last week that US forces are not escorting vessels through the Strait. Instead, the Navy is communicating and coordinating with ships that want to transit, a softer posture than a full convoy operation.
This follows Project Freedom, the escort initiative Trump announced in early May and then paused two days later. The current effort is a coordination channel, not a revived convoy mission, despite the ‘control’ language from the White House.
Options market and stocks to watch
Energy and defense names are the most direct read-throughs if traders take Trump’s ‘control’ claim at face value, or fade it.
- XOM: watch for flow tied to crude price stability if more barrels actually clear Hormuz.
- CVX: another integrated major sensitive to Gulf transit volumes and Brent spreads.
- USO: the crude ETF is the cleanest expression for traders positioning around Hormuz headlines.
- LMT: watch for defense flow on any escalation in US-Iran strikes.
- RTX: missile and air defense exposure remains in focus as the strike campaign continues.
Keep an eye on other news for follow-ups on Iran, OPEC response, and any Navy clarification on what ‘control’ actually means on the water.
Want more market intelligence? Create your free Unusual Whales account for options flow, market tide, GEX, and the full toolkit.