As the conflict with Iran nears six months, President Donald Trump claimed the US has de facto control over the Strait of Hormuz, describing it as “American territory” and citing a blockade that has redirected dozens of commercial vessels. He again vowed Iran would never get a nuclear weapon, while Iranian leaders branded US sanctions a “declaration of war.”
US President Donald Trump has said he considers the Strait of Hormuz “American territory” and reiterated that Iran must never obtain a nuclear weapon, as tensions between Washington and Tehran continue to escalate.
Speaking at a rally in South Carolina on Friday, Trump said the US effectively controls the strategic waterway through its ongoing blockade of Iranian shipping.
“We don’t even know if we won, because I view the Strait of Hormuz as an American territory right now,” Trump said.
Trump also joked about carrying out further attacks on Iran during his remarks, asking what he would have to do to “bomb Iran a little bit more”.
According to The Guardian, US forces had redirected 68 commercial vessels to comply with the blockade as of Friday, citing the US Central Command. The newspaper also reported that Trump had previously threatened to declare the waterway US territory and had shared a map on social media labelling it as a “new U.S. territory”.
The Strait of Hormuz, bordered by Iran and Oman, is a crucial global energy route, with roughly one-fifth of the world’s seaborne oil supply typically passing through it.
Meanwhile, Al Jazeera reported that Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei condemned new US sanctions against Iran, saying they went far beyond an illegal economic war against a single country and amounted to a “declaration of war” against governments.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi has previously dismissed Trump’s remarks about the strait as “delusions”.
The comments come as Washington and Tehran remain without a peace agreement, with the conflict approaching its six-month mark.