Iran Threatens Control Over Strait of Hormuz Amid US Military Tensions

As US President Donald Trump repeatedly delays a deadline for Iran, reports from Arab media indicate that Iran plans to soon officially declare control over the Strait of Hormuz. A source involved in negotiations told Channel 13 that the coming day will be critical, stating, "There will either be a temporary agreement on Hormuz or war and escalation, more than anything seen so far."

On Monday, The Washington Post reported that Trump confronted US Defense Secretary Mark Esper at a government summit at Camp David last weekend. Trump demanded answers about ammunition shortages and accused Esper of misleading him about the true military situation, which could limit US options against Iran. White House spokeswoman Caroline Lewitt dismissed the report as "fake news."

Trump reportedly told Esper he believed the ammunition issues had been resolved. The shortage, especially of long-range and interceptor missiles, is a key reason Trump has avoided further large-scale strikes against Iran. Reuters reported Tuesday that the US military has used most of its stock of precision long-range missiles during five months of conflict with Iran, including ATACMS ground-to-ground missiles with a 160-kilometer range and newer PrSM missiles with about 500 kilometers range. The US has also depleted roughly half its Tomahawk missile inventory.

However, another source noted that US Central Command (CENTCOM) replenished some stock by transferring munitions from other bases worldwide. The White House stated that the US possesses "far more munitions than any other country in the world, and far more than we need," adding that defense companies are producing ammunition at unprecedented rates. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Spicer affirmed, "The US military is the strongest in the world and has everything needed to carry out any presidential directive."