US President Trump says the US controls the Strait of Hormuz not Iran, adds we removed 22 boats from the Strait of Hormuz the prior night

The distinction that has mattered historically is between rhetorical assertion, seizures or harassment of vessels, and a genuine attempt to close or mine the strait: only the last has produced sustained moves, since a material share of seaborne oil transits the chokepoint and rerouting capacity is limited. Claims of boats removed imply active interdiction, which raises the escalation question of Iranian retaliation against shipping, and in past episodes the tell has been tanker traffic, war-risk insurance premia and freight rates rather than official statements. The established cross-asset pattern on Hormuz headlines is a bid in Brent and WTI, gold and the dollar, with equities softer, unwinding quickly when flows prove unaffected. Worth watching is whether Tehran responds operationally, whether any confirmed strike or seizure follows, and whether the US frames this as a one-off action or an ongoing enforcement posture. As with prior episodes of this kind, the headline itself is assertion rather than verified action, and confirmation of the interdiction claim is the first filter.