New Delhi [India], August 23 (ANI): Foreign affairs expert Robinder Sachdev has dismissed US President Donald Trump's claims regarding the Strait of Hormuz as 'bluff and bluster', pointing out that despite the rhetoric, the confrontation has largely shifted towards severe economic sanctions targeting Iran's trade networks.

Speaking to ANI, Sachdev weighed in on Trump sharing a graphic depicting the Strait of Hormuz labelled as 'NEW US Territory', stating, '... Trump has often in this war declared complete victory, declared Hormuz is open and that the Strait of Hormuz is American territory. These are statements I think of bluff and bluster, there seems to be no reality to this.'

The foreign affairs expert's assessment comes amid escalating friction between Washington and Tehran after Trump reiterated his territorial assertions on social media. The US President reposted the graphic on Truth Social following earlier remarks at a police academy gathering on Long Island, where he stated, 'Pretty soon I'll be declaring the Strait of Hormuz a territory of the United States'.

Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei rejected Washington's stance, declaring, 'The gap between America's inability to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and its claim to own it is greater than the 7,000-mile distance between Washington and the Strait itself,' before adding, 'Welcome to the post-American order in the Persian Gulf.'

Despite the escalating posturing over the waterway, Sachdev highlighted that Washington's primary focus remains on enforcing stringent financial restrictions designed to choke off both Iranian imports and exports.

'Yes, America is now coming down with very severe economic sanctions against Iran. And these sanctions will now target not only the oil exports of Iran, but the imports of Iran also,' he said.

These forthcoming measures were further detailed by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who is slated to outline what he characterised as 'the toughest sanctions in history' against Tehran while calling on Beijing to cooperate concerning Iranian oil shipments. However, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei denounced the planned restrictions on X, stating, 'Such secondary sanctions find no foundation in international law.'

Elaborating on the fallout, Sachdev pointed out that key regional commercial partners are already feeling the heat, as Washington moves to sever Tehran's international trade lifelines.

'The UAE has already suspended all trade with Iran. UAE is among the top five trading partners of Iran, about $30 billion a year,' Sachdev observed.

Beyond the Gulf, Sachdev noted that Washington is actively applying pressure to neighbouring economies that maintain substantial commercial ties with Tehran.

'The US is now coming down also on Iraq. Iraq's bilateral trade with Iran is around $12 billion... America will also now pressure Turkey because Turkey also has trade with Iran. In fact, Turkey buys pipelined natural gas from Iran every year worth over $3 billion...' he said.

This economic campaign aligns with Trump's warning to foreign governments against providing Tehran with 'any type of lifeline.' In response, Mohsen Rezaei issued a stern warning to neighbouring states against aligning with the US-led measures, asserting, 'We are telling all nearby countries not to join the US economic war, otherwise we will consider them as enemies.'

Meanwhile, the critical waterway remains blocked to unapproved traffic. While Trump continues to designate the passage as US territory, Tehran maintains that the transit route will remain shut unless Washington alters its policy. Despite the impasse, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called for diplomatic engagement to resolve the standoff, emphasising that Tehran should aim to end the conflict while safeguarding its national strength and dignity. (ANI)