WASHINGTON, August 28. /TASS/. The United States believes it has turned the tide in the Strait of Hormuz, Axios reported.

According to the news website, US officials "say they've turned the tide in the strait and believe it could be a watershed moment in the war that brings not only gradual relief to the world economy, but also a better deal with Iran."

On Thursday, US President Donald Trump told Axios in an interview that the waterway was open for navigation. "The Iranian response [to the Americans’ actions in the strait] is very mild. They don't want us to go back at them. That's the whole ball game. The rest doesn't matter," the US leader said.

"Iran has lost much of its control over the strait," Axios wrote, citing unidentified US officials. The US military has "steadily eroded Iran's leverage over the crucial waterway," Washington argues.

The United States and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28. In June, Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding envisaging an immediate ceasefire on all fronts, including in Lebanon. However, the United States resumed large-scale attacks on Iran overnight to July 8, having accused it of breaching the existing agreements in what concerned the Strait of Hormuz, a global chokepoint for approximately 25% of oil and some 20% of LNG supplies.

The Trump administration recently signaled an end to any large-scale use of force against Iran and a transition to putting economic pressure on the Islamic Republic through sanctions instead.