Trump's remarks were made in an interview with Fox News, which was reported by several media outlets.
In it, he describes the US operation to secure shipping through the strait, Project Freedom, as one of the "top military maneuvers" ever conducted.
During the Iran-Iraq war, both Iran and the United States blocked the waterway, which is vital for international oil trade.
“Unbearable for America”
"We are very aware that the continued status quo is unbearable for the US, while we have not even started yet," wrote Speaker Ghalibaf on Tuesday. He has also been Iran's chief negotiator at peace talks in Pakistan.
Pete Hegseth countered on Tuesday, saying that the US "is not looking for trouble", but at the same time threatened "devastating" consequences if Iran fired on ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran cannot be allowed to block innocent countries and their shipping from international shipping lanes, he said at a press conference.
Denied shelling
On Monday, the situation escalated. Iran claimed to have fired on two American warships approaching the Strait of Hormuz. The US denied this and later the military command CENTCOM announced that two US-flagged merchant ships had passed through the Strait of Hormuz. Later in the evening, President Trump claimed that seven Iranian boats had been sunk.
That claim was denied by an Iranian military commander on Tuesday. According to the commander, only two small civilian cargo boats were hit, killing five civilians, AFP reports, citing Iranian state television.
