Is the Iran war weakening the US' superpower status?

"Ships of the World, start your engines," US President Donald Trump said while announcing a deal with Iran to end the conflict he launched along with Israel more than three months ago.

The online post on Sunday also saw Trump "fully authorize" the toll-free reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

The US and Iran are due to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Geneva later this week. With the details still under wraps , Trump later said Hormuz would "fully reopen" only after the deal is signed.

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

But unconfirmed reports on the MoU published in pro-regime Iranian media claim that Tehran's future role in Hormuz is still up for negotiation. The Fars news agency reported that "Iranian-Omani sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz" had been added to negotiations at the last minute, while claiming that the US had "accepted" that fees would be paid to Iran.

When asked for clarification on Monday, US Vice President JD Vance told the CNBC news outlet that Washington's "expectation is that the strait is going to be opened in a toll-free way for the long term," adding, "that's the sort of thing that we're going to figure out in these technical negotiations."

Opacity aside, it is clear that the US is not able to dictate the terms regarding the Strait of Hormuz to Iran, despite Washington's overwhelming military strength.

Moreover, Iran's ability to use drones, mines and small boats to shut down free movement of shipping has shed uncomfortable light on the role of US power in protecting freedom of navigation and ensuring free trade.