Trump says millions of barrels of oil flowing through Strait of Hormuz

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that millions of barrels of oil are continuing to pass through the Strait of Hormuz despite tensions with Iran.

"The strait is open. The Strait of Hormuz is open. We have control, and we have the blockade," Trump said in remarks at the White House.

"We're taking a lot of boats," he added. "Millions and millions of barrels of oil are coming out of the strait every day."

Trump said US forces had cleared the waterway of mines and were closely monitoring maritime activity.

"We have the best minesweepers in the world. They're underwater minesweepers, and we've totally cleared the strait of mines," he said.

He claimed US forces were able to detect vessels attempting to lay mines and respond immediately.

"We see every inch of the strait, and any boat goes in with a mine. We see it, and we take it out. We've taken out two of them," Trump said.

Trump said the US had recently escorted vessels through the strait, saying: "Last night, we took 24 boats through the strait. We're taking them through all the time."

He asserted that Iran was unable to move goods through the waterway under the US blockade, saying: "Iran's not getting anything. Nothing is going through. Not one ship has gotten."