Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) has directly challenged President Donald Trump’s claims that a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz is imminent, asserting that the waterway remains closed. Newsom’s official press office handle on X shared an unverified TikTok video featuring an influencer in a boat next to a container ship, using it to highlight statements from shipping container captains that the strait is not operational. "Take it from shipping container captains … the strait is closed — despite what Trump claims every other day," the press office said on August 5, 2026.

Maritime Security Incidents

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center (UKMTO) reported a security incident on Wednesday, August 6, 2026. The center received a late report from the master of a tanker who heard two explosions near the vessel while traveling through the Strait of Hormuz. The incident occurred approximately 10 miles southeast of Kumzar, Oman.

The UKMTO confirmed that the crew and vessel are safe and accounted for, with no environmental damage reported from the incident. The agency advised all vessels to exercise caution in the area.

Diplomatic and Toll Disputes

The conflicting statements emerge amid reports that Iranian officials are seeking a 5% to 7% toll on ships traveling through the waterway. Oman, conversely, reportedly wants to levy a 3% toll on the ships. Officials in the region have denied backing Trump’s claims about an imminent deal over Strait of Hormuz traffic.

President Trump recently called off strikes on Iran, a move hailed by his former counterterrorism chief, Joe Kent, as a possible pathway to reopening the strait. However, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei previously stated that any agreement reached with Oman on a new shipping route for vessels did not mean that the Strait of Hormuz would reopen.

Iranian state television has reported that the reopening of the Strait is contingent upon changes in U.S. actions, according to the broadcast. The statement signals a conditional stance from Tehran, directly linking the status of the waterway to American policy conduct.

Iran's Conditional Position

The report from Iranian state television indicates that Tehran has tied the question of the Strait's reopening to observable shifts in U.S. actions. No specific conditions, timelines, or further elaborations were provided in the available source material beyond this stated dependency.

Key Details

The report underscores the ongoing tension between Iran and the United States over access to the Strait, with Tehran publicly framing any potential reopening as reliant on a change in American conduct. The source data does not provide additional context regarding the nature of the demanded changes or the current operational status of the waterway.