MINSK, May 16. /TASS/. US statements about control over the Strait of Hormuz are intended for a domestic audience, with Washington aiming to regulate energy prices in this way, Iranian Ambassador to Belarus Alireza Sanei told TASS in an interview.

"What they are disseminating through the media about control being in their hands is more for internal use in the United States. To control the cost of fuel, energy resources, oil," the diplomat explained.

According to him, the US authorities know that the strait is controlled by Iran. "What [White House host Donald] Trump and his fellow countrymen say is more because they psychologically want to control the energy market," Sanei said.

He recalled that "before the war, a gallon [3.79 liters - TASS] of gasoline in the US state of California cost $2.4, now it is $5 and up to $6.5." According to internet portals tracking fuel prices in the US, the average price for gasoline with an octane rating of 87 to 94 in California is $6.3 per gallon (465 rubles, or 125 rubles per liter).