Iran has hit back at Donald Trump's boast that the US has 'total control' of the Strait of Hormuz, insisting the vital waterway remains firmly under Tehran's control.Hossein Taeb, the head of Iran's Basij paramilitary unit, declared on Thursday that the strategic waterway was under the 'management and control' of the Islamic Republic.His remarks came a day after Trump boasted on Truth Social about US dominance over the Strait, amid an escalating war of words between Washington and Tehran. Taeb said the United States had sought to disrupt what he described as the Islamic Republic's popularity in the region by launching another war in the Strait of Hormuz, but had once more been defeated despite claiming Iran had neither an air force nor a navy. 'Today you see that the Strait of Hormuz is under the management and control of the Islamic Republic,' Taeb said, adding that Iran was continuing on its course in complete security.In his Truth Social post, Trump said that the US would 'keep' control of the vital waterway, describing its naval blockade as a 'WALL OF STEEL' and claiming there was 'nothing Iran can do about it'.He also claimed Iran had 'no Navy' and 'no Air Force', that its remaining soldiers were unpaid and that the country's leadership was 'uncertain, at best'.The escalating tensions come just days after it emerged that Trump was smuggled off Air Force One in a catering truck amid fears of an Iranian assassination attempt. The commander-in-chief was on his way back from a NATO summit in Turkey when he was bundled off the jet and boarded a separate military plane.President Donald Trump talks to reporters after arriving on Air Force One Tuesday, August 11, 2026, at Joint Base Andrew A small boat sails past cargo ships and other commercial vessels anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Wednesday, August 5 The remarks came a day after U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that the U.S. had 'total control' of the strategic waterwayTrump had traveled to Turkey aboard a 747-8 donated by Qatari officials, which the administration has spent vast sums of money improving for security.But as the summit concluded, the President announced he would not take the newly outfitted plane and would instead board an older model rather than the plane that flew him there for 'old times' sake.'Trump was then filmed and photographed boarding the older-model Air Force One jumbo jet in Ankara, which was bound for a US military base in the UK.However, officials familiar with the ruse told the NY Times that the president covertly entered a food cart that had been fitted to the belly of the plane.The food cart was then loaded onto an airport catering truck, which transported him to a smaller Air Force C-32A plane, according to the Washington Post.The plot reportedly fooled journalists and even some White House staffers who were aboard the 'decoy' Air Force One flight.In a video from the tarmac obtained by the Post, Trump could be seen waving to the cameras as he heads into the older plane, before a truck is seen maneuvering towards the steps of the C-32A.The video shows a man in a suit entering the catering truck's cab. A container is then loaded into the bed of the vehicle and pulled away from the old Air Force One.The container had notably been lifted to the level of the plane for several minutes.When the container was lowered, a person in a suit stepped out of the truck's cab, which remained at ground level and ascended the stairs leading up to the nearby C-32A.Moments later, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was seen boarding the C-32A separately using regular stairs as part of an apparent attempt to make the flight appear typical.A catering truck was visibly parked on the opposite side of Air Force One after Donald Trump boarded the plane in Ankara, Turkey, on July 8The reported subterfuge came as Trump was leaving the NATO summit in Turkey last monthJournalists who boarded the old Air Force One plane, believing Trump was aboard, were instructed to close their window shades following take off.The plane carrying the journalists took on the Air Traffic Control sign 'Air Force One', which is technically only meant for any plane on which the President is onboard.Meanwhile, the C-32A flight Trump and Hegseth were on used the call sign 'Reach 18' or 'RCH18,' according to the Washington Post.Such 'Reach' signs are typically used for personnel transport flights and those that haul military equipment.After the two planes landed in the UK, Trump was apparently smuggled from the C-32A to the legacy Air Force One jet and was seen descending on external stairs.From there, Trump embarked on the Qatari-donated plane to travel back to Washington with the White House press pool.Onboard that aircraft, the President spoke to journalists for about 15 minutes, highlighting the threat that Iran poses.When asked why reporters were ordered to lower their window shades on the plane in Turkey, Trump said: 'Because you're probably on a dangerous flight because of the sleaze bags that we have to deal with.'He then added that he has a 'threat all the time' on his life and that he is 'number one' on Iran's 'list.'