India, Aug. 19 -- The Strait of Hormuz has become the centre of a fresh US-Iran confrontation after President Donald Trump claimed that all water mines in the strategic shipping route had been removed or detonated, while insisting that the US naval blockade remains fully operational.

Trump also said the waterway is "open and operating" even as Iran maintains that Hormuz will stay closed until Washington meets Tehran's demands.

The latest clash came after Trump posted a map on Truth Social showing the Strait of Hormuz as "new US territory," reviving his earlier suggestion that Washington could seek control over the critical chokepoint. The conflicting claims from Washington and Tehran have added to uncertainty over shipping, energy suppl...