Kathmandu, August 15: U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed that he will soon declare the strategically important Strait of Hormuz as U.S. territory after “fully defeating” Iran.
Trump has repeatedly asserted that the United States has established control over the vital energy shipping route, which Iran is said to have effectively closed following the outbreak of war in the Middle East. Iran, however, has consistently rejected the U.S. claims.
Addressing a political rally at a police academy in New York State, Trump said that once Iran is completely defeated, he would move to designate the Strait of Hormuz as part of the United States.
“After we have completely defeated Iran, I will soon declare the Strait of Hormuz to be territory of the United States,” Trump said.
However, according to The Wall Street Journal, a White House official later clarified that Trump had made the remark as a joke.
Iran’s strong response
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi responded to Trump’s statement through a post on social media platform X.
He stated that the Strait of Hormuz belongs to Iran, remains Iranian today, and will continue to be Iranian in the future. He also claimed that the waterway would be opened or closed only in accordance with Iran’s decisions.
Growing U.S.-Iran tensions over Hormuz
Tensions between the United States and Iran over the Strait of Hormuz have reportedly intensified since Washington, alongside Israel, launched military operations against Iran on February 28.
Iran is said to maintain practical control over much of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy transit routes. The waterway remains a major source of friction between the two countries.
Reports indicate that Iran has restricted the movement of most civilian vessels, while the U.S. Navy has allegedly imposed a blockade in the area to increase pressure on Tehran.
Addressing supporters and a crowd of police officers, Trump claimed that the United States had enforced the blockade and that no vessel would be allowed to pass through the Strait against Washington’s wishes.
People’s News Monitoring Service.
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