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"title": "Trump claims US has total control over strait of Hormuz after Iran seizes two container ships",
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"plaintext": "Donald Trump has again said that the US has “total control over the strait of Hormuz”, adding that Iran’s leadership was so hobbled by infighting that it was unclear who was in charge."
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"plaintext": "But the US president’s claim seemed questionable in the face of the seizure of two container ships by Iranian commandos and a US report warning it could take six months to clear the strait of mines."
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"plaintext": "Trump’s comments on Thursday came after US special forces boarded a stateless oil tanker in the Indian Ocean, which the Pentagon claimed was carrying Iranian crude oil."
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"plaintext": "The military operation took place hours after Iran’s seizure of the two container ships, with the two sides continuing to impose competing blockades on the strait, keeping global oil prices at about $100 (£74) a barrel."
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"plaintext": "While US forces have proved capable of stopping ships coming out of Iranian ports, they have still not demonstrated the capacity to open the strait to vessels coming from ports in allied Gulf states."
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"plaintext": "The impact of the dual blockades has been compounded by the presence of sea mines in the strait. In a briefing to Congress, the Pentagon warned it could take up to six months to clear all the suspected mines from the sea routes, according to a report in the Washington Post."
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"publishedAt": "2026-04-25T02:08:02.901Z",
"textContent": "## Donald Trump has again said that the US has “total control over the strait of Hormuz”, adding that Iran’s leadership was so hobbled by infighting that it was unclear who was in charge.\nBut the US president’s claim seemed questionable in the face of the seizure of two container ships by Iranian commandos and a US report warning it could take six months to clear the strait of mines.\nTrump’s comments on Thursday came after US special forces boarded a stateless oil tanker in the Indian Ocean, which the Pentagon claimed was carrying Iranian crude oil.\nThe military operation took place hours after Iran’s seizure of the two container ships, with the two sides continuing to impose competing blockades on the strait, keeping global oil prices at about $100 (£74) a barrel.\nWhile US forces have proved capable of stopping ships coming out of Iranian ports, they have still not demonstrated the capacity to open the strait to vessels coming from ports in allied Gulf states.\nThe impact of the dual blockades has been compounded by the presence of sea mines in the strait. In a briefing to Congress, the Pentagon warned it could take up to six months to clear all the suspected mines from the sea routes, according to [a report in the Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/04/22/iran-hormuz-mines/).\n## Understanding what is happening in the Middle East is more important than ever\nIt’s the Guardian’s job to keep a close focus on events in the region for our global audience.\nWith reporters sharing live updates around the clock, we’re well-placed to provide comprehensive, fact-checked reporting and to help our audience understand every major development. But we can’t do it without your support.\nWe rely on the generosity of our readers, whose backing helps to keep our correspondents on the ground and our reporting free from commercial or political influence.\nWe appreciate that not everyone can afford to pay for news, but if you can, [can we count on your support?](https://support.theguardian.com/eu/contribute?REFPVID=modp7bva23df1d46osz5&INTCMP=gdnwb_copts_memco_2025-07-09_MIDDLE_EAST_CRISIS_R3_EPIC__UK_EU_AU_ROW_V1_UPDATED&acquisitionData=%7B%22source%22%3A%22GUARDIAN_WEB%22%2C%22componentId%22%3A%22gdnwb_copts_memco_2025-07-09_MIDDLE_EAST_CRISIS_R3_EPIC__UK_EU_AU_ROW_V1_UPDATED%22%2C%22componentType%22%3A%22ACQUISITIONS_EPIC%22%2C%22campaignCode%22%3A%22gdnwb_copts_memco_2025-07-09_MIDDLE_EAST_CRISIS_R3_EPIC__UK_EU_AU_ROW_V1_UPDATED%22%2C%22abTests%22%3A%5B%7B%22name%22%3A%222025-07-09_MIDDLE_EAST_CRISIS_R3_EPIC__UK_EU_AU_ROW%22%2C%22variant%22%3A%22V1_UPDATED%22%7D%5D%2C%22referrerPageviewId%22%3A%22modp7bva23df1d46osz5%22%2C%22referrerUrl%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2026%2Fapr%2F23%2Ftrump-claims-us-has-total-control-over-strait-of-hormuz-as-iran-seizes-two-container-ships%22%2C%22isRemote%22%3Atrue%2C%22labels%22%3A%5B%22body-link%22%5D%7D) Here are three good reasons to make the choice to fund us today:\n1. Our quality, investigative journalism is a scrutinising force.\n2. We are independent and have no billionaire owner dictating what we do – your money directly powers our reporting.\n3. It doesn’t cost much, and takes less time than it took to read this message.\n"
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