US Making Miscalculations Due to Intelligence Failures, Says Araghchi

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has issued a warning to Washington following US President Donald Trump's assertion that the United States exercises full control over the Strait of Hormuz, stating that the US has long been making miscalculations due to intelligence failures.

Araghchi made the remarks in a post on the social media platform X on Thursday (August 13).

"Worse than fake news is fake intelligence," Araghchi stated, citing the war against Iran as an example and cautioning that an even bigger miscalculation is now being made regarding the Strait of Hormuz.

Earlier on Wednesday (August 12), Trump claimed that the US maintains total control over the Strait of Hormuz through a naval blockade he described as a "wall of steel."

Trump further asserted that Iran was powerless to react, claiming that the country no longer possesses a functional navy or air force, its remaining troops are going unpaid, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has been severely weakened and is fleeing.

The Strait of Hormuz has long been a flashpoint between the US and Iran, with both sides using the vital maritime passage as leverage in stalled peace negotiations and asserting their respective rights over it.

The diplomatic impasse has effectively brought shipping through the strait to a standstill. Prior to the onset of the war, approximately one-fifth of the world’s total oil supply passed through this critical waterway.