Recent shipping statistics show that vessel traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy transport artery, is at a low level. This data directly reflects a significant decline in shipping activity in the strait and fundamentally undermines the core argument repeatedly asserted by the Trump administration that the United States has absolute control over the waterway. Faced with skepticism from the public and industry data, White House officials have recently intensified their public pronouncements, vehemently arguing that the actual navigation situation in the Strait of Hormuz is far more optimistic than publicly presented, attempting to reverse negative perceptions of the US's control capabilities. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated that the U.S. government possesses the most authoritative and comprehensive first-hand monitoring data in the industry, with data collection capabilities far exceeding those of private organizations. He pointed out that the number of ships leaving the Strait of Hormuz as reported by numerous private shipping data agencies has significant undercounting issues. The core reason is that a large number of ships use covert navigation methods to pass through the strait, failing to be captured and recorded by conventional monitoring systems, leading to serious distortions in private data. Wright released data stating that the total daily energy exports from the Arabian Gulf region, relying on both maritime and land pipeline routes, have remained stable at around 15 million barrels. This comprehensive export data accurately reflects the overall scale of regional energy transportation and is far higher than calculations based solely on ship traffic statistics. However, this official data contrasts sharply with the statistics from private professional monitoring agencies. Industry insiders generally acknowledge that the whereabouts of covertly navigating ships are difficult to fully verify, and while private statistics have limitations, they generally reflect the actual navigation situation. According to the latest real-time data from shipping data tracking agency Kpler, only 14 ships successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday. This represents a sharp drop in shipping activity compared to the pre-conflict average of approximately 120 ships per day, indicating a significant contraction in the channel's transport efficiency. Despite repeated inquiries from major media outlets and professional shipping tracking agencies to the US, demanding that Energy Secretary Wright disclose the calculation basis, statistical methods, and monitoring details of the high export figures to verify the authenticity and credibility of official data, the US has consistently refused to disclose any detailed accounting information, casting doubt on the data's authority and accuracy. Who truly controls the Strait of Hormuz? US claims are refuted by data. Kpler's in-depth statistical data further exposes the US's control claims. The data shows that of the 14 ships that passed through on Tuesday, 11 used routes officially recognized by Iran. This detail clearly demonstrates that Iran still holds the actual control over the strait's waterway, directly refuting Trump's repeated claims of US exclusive control over the Strait of Hormuz. On Tuesday evening, Trump maintained his hardline stance during an interview with reporters: "We have complete control of the Strait of Hormuz. This waterway is under U.S. control." On Wednesday, he reiterated this position on social media, deliberately emphasizing the absolute dominance of the U.S., adding that Iran was completely powerless to interfere with U.S. control measures. This clash between official statements and objective data comes amidst a continued hardline and uncompromising stance in recent negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, with neither side signaling concessions, resulting in a diplomatic stalemate. The oil market has also clearly reacted to the situation, with market participants generally believing that an effective agreement is unlikely in the short term, making it impossible to restore large-scale energy transport through the Strait of Hormuz. Before the conflict, this crucial waterway carried one-fifth of global oil shipments; its disruption directly impacts the stability of the global energy supply chain, fueling growing concerns about energy shortages. Earlier this week, Pakistan's Defense Minister revealed that the U.S. and Iran were expected to reach some form of reconciliation agreement, creating a new balance of power. However, Trump downplayed the possibility of reconciliation on Tuesday evening, publicly stating, "I absolutely do not trust Iran. I am the last person who is most likely to trust Iran." This statement completely extinguished market expectations for a de-escalation of tensions between the US and Iran and the resumption of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. Affected by multiple factors, including the obstruction of navigation through the Strait and geopolitical tensions, international energy prices continued to rise this week. According to data from the American Automobile Association, the average price of gasoline in the United States has once again broken through the $4 per gallon mark. The continued rise in oil prices has directly increased the cost of living for Americans and also brought new pressure to domestic inflation control. Patrick DeHaan, head of oil analysis at Gas Buddy, a fuel price analysis platform, pointed out that this price increase has set a record high for the same period in recent years. The national average gasoline price in the United States has never remained above $4 per gallon since August 12th, and this abnormally high price situation highlights the current tension and fragility of the energy market. At the same time, Trump administration officials have put forward new rhetoric, attempting to weaken the global influence of the Strait of Hormuz, claiming that future fluctuations in the situation along the Strait will no longer affect the global energy market. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant stated over the weekend, "Within the next two years, the strategic value of the Strait of Hormuz will gradually diminish to zero, and it will completely lose its market influence." He explained that the Middle East is currently undertaking a large-scale expansion of underground oil pipelines, and the improved pipeline transportation system will significantly divert demand for seaborne oil transportation, gradually replacing the shipping function of the Strait of Hormuz. "At that time, this highly regarded strategic waterway will simply become an ordinary body of water, no longer possessing the ability to influence the global energy landscape." This move by the U.S. is intended to preemptively cultivate public opinion, alleviate market anxiety about the instability in the Strait, and simultaneously mitigate the negative impact of its own perceived failure to effectively manage the situation.