Politics

Trump says US controls Hormuz and claims no one knows who runs Iran

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Iran is in a very bad situation and that nobody knows who is running the country. He described Iran's economy and oil sector as collapsing and said the Strait of Hormuz is under US control. Sky News Arabia quoted him as saying the biggest problem in dealing with Tehran is the uncertainty over who holds power.

روسيا اليوم (RT Arabic)Tuesday, October 6, 2026, 23:53Covered by 2 sources

Illustrative photo: Cargo ship silhouetted on the horizon at sunset over choppy sea with birds flying. Photo by Jacob Fryer on Unsplash

Why it matters

A large share of Gulf oil exports passes through the Strait of Hormuz, so any claim of control over it draws attention from markets and regional states. The available material gives no details on what that control means in practice or on Tehran's response.

Background

The Strait of Hormuz is a waterway linking the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman, and significant oil and energy shipments pass through it to global markets. Its importance to shipping is why it often features in political statements about Iran and the Gulf.

Key points

RT Arabic put the word "finished" in quotation marks in its headline when describing the Iranian economy in Trump's words.
Sky News Arabia described the remark as the latest in his statements on Iran's leadership, indicating he has returned to the subject repeatedly.

How outlets covered it

Both outlets agreed that Trump made the remarks on Tuesday and on their core: that no one knows who runs Iran. RT Arabic highlighted the Strait of Hormuz and US control over it in its headline, and added his description of Iran's economy and oil sector as collapsing. Sky News Arabia focused on the phrase "biggest problem" in Trump's dealings with Tehran, and its available excerpt does not mention Hormuz or the economy.