US and Iran Trade Claims Over Strait of Hormuz Control

Iran and the US traded conflicting claims over control of the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, with Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei asserting enemies have been forced out of the waterway, a claim the US military dismissed as false. Khamenei said in a state media statement that Iranian fighters had inflicted "painful blows" on enemies, who now do not venture beyond the Arabian Sea. US Central Command countered that Iran has no navy, saying American forces sank it, and noted thousands of ships carrying over 1 billion barrels of oil have passed through the strait freely in recent months. The exchange comes as Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi is set to meet mediators in New York to discuss the strait's status, following President Donald Trump's rejection of an Iranian proposal on reopening the waterway. No US representative is expected at the meeting.