Libya’s Grand Mufti Says US Trapped in Strait of Hormuz Crisis

Libya’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Sadiq al-Ghariani has said the United States is facing an increasingly difficult situation in the Strait of Hormuz despite claiming to have control over the strategic waterway. In a video message posted on X on Wednesday, Ghariani said Washington was attempting to portray the strait as being under its control, while in reality, he argued, the US had become caught in a difficult regional predicament.

He said Iran’s restrictions on transit through the Strait of Hormuz had significantly affected maritime traffic through the vital energy corridor. Ghariani also referred to the Pakistan-brokered June 17 Memorandum of Understanding between Tehran and Washington, particularly its Article 5, which he said placed responsibility for reopening and managing the waterway with Iran. He accused Washington of subsequently taking measures that challenged Iran’s authority over the strait, while Iran responded by declaring the waterway closed to traffic.

Ghariani also linked the situation in the Strait of Hormuz to developments around Yemen and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. He claimed that Saudi Arabia was conducting military operations in Yemen on behalf of the United States and argued that Yemeni forces’ control over the Bab el-Mandeb further complicated Washington’s position in the region. The remarks come as disruptions to shipping through the two strategic waterways continue to raise concerns over global energy supplies and maritime trade.