Donald Trump: The United States possesses hundreds of billions of dollars belonging to Iran and controls the Strait of Hormuz. Our verdict: False.
Donald Trump made the claim in a Truth Social post on 12 November 2026, as reported by CNBC.
Our verdict
False
The claim is false. The United States has frozen or disrupted Iranian money in amounts far below hundreds of billions of dollars, and expert analysis says Iran, not the United States, controls the Strait of Hormuz.
What we found
We checked both parts of the claim. On the money, the U.S. Department of the Treasury says it has disrupted tens of billions of dollars in Iranian revenue and frozen nearly half a billion dollars in cryptocurrency linked to the Iranian regime. Those figures are far below the hundreds of billions claimed. On the Strait of Hormuz, a Brookings analysis says Iran exercises control over the Strait, which contradicts the claim that the United States has operational control. Because both parts of the claim are wrong, we rate the whole claim false.
The evidence
2 of 5 sources contradict the claim; none support it.
- Background
CNBC reported that Donald Trump said on Truth Social that the United States possesses hundreds of billions of dollars belonging to Iran and controls the Strait of Hormuz. [1]
- Contradicts the claim
The U.S. Department of the Treasury said it had disrupted tens of billions of dollars in revenue and frozen nearly half a billion dollars in cryptocurrency linked to the Iranian regime, figures far below hundreds of billions. [2]
- Contradicts the claim
A Brookings analysis said Iran exercises control over the Strait of Hormuz, contradicting the claim that the United States has operational control. [3]
- Background
A U.S. Treasury press release said the Treasury had frozen Iranian regime assets and disrupted tens of billions of dollars of revenue. [4]
- Background
A Department of Defense report on Chinese military capabilities and security developments does not contain information about Iranian assets or U.S. control of the Strait of Hormuz. [5]
What we could not confirm
- The total value of all Iranian assets blocked by the United States is not set out in a single official ledger, so we relied on the best available official figures, which are far below hundreds of billions of dollars.
- The evidence does not fully detail the degree of U.S. naval presence and influence in the Strait of Hormuz; the conclusion that Iran exercises control rests on expert analysis rather than primary operational data.
How we checked
We looked at U.S. Treasury press releases on frozen and disrupted Iranian money, expert analysis of who controls the Strait of Hormuz, and the original CNBC report of the claim. We reviewed 5 relevant sources.
Sources
- [1]CNBC · Trump says ‘we don’t need a deal with Iran’ · November 12, 2026
- [2]U.S. Department of the Treasury · Economic Fury Targets Iran’s Largest Digital Asset Exchange for Terror Finance and Sanctions Evasion · June 2, 2026
- [3]brookings.edu · Will the Strait of Hormuz reopen after the US-Iran deal? · June 25, 2026
- [4]home.treasury.gov · Economic Fury Disrupts Foreign Networks Supporting Iran’s Military and Weapons Programs · June 10, 2026
- [5]navyleaguehonolulu.org · 2022 China Military Power Report (CMPR) · January 1, 2022
Have evidence we missed?
If you know of a source that confirms or contradicts this claim, send us the link. We review every submission and update fact checks when new evidence changes the picture.
Measured Take updates fact checks when new evidence emerges. Corrections are noted on the page.
All fact checks