Iran has firmly rejected statements by US President Donald Trump suggesting the United States would claim the Strait of Hormuz as US territory, with Iranian officials asserting that control over the strategic energy waterway remains entirely under Tehran’s command.
Key Statements and Reactions
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Iranian Response: Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi stated on X that the Strait of Hormuz “has been Iranian, is Iranian, and will remain Iranian,” adding that it cannot be seized by “tweet, aircraft carrier, order, or election speech.” He reaffirmed that the blockade of the strait would continue until the US acknowledges reality.
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Trump’s Rally Remarks: Donald Trump remarked during a campaign rally in New York that after defeating Iran, the US would “soon” declare the Strait of Hormuz a territory of the United States. He also defended higher gasoline prices as a necessary cost to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
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White House Clarification: Following the public reaction, an unnamed White House official clarified to media outlets that Trump’s comment about annexing the strait was intended as a joke.
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Dispute Over Waterway Control: The exchange follows previous claims by Trump that the US Navy maintains a “wall of steel” and complete control over the waterway. In response, Iranian military spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaghari and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi dismissed those assertions as fabrications, maintaining that no commercial vessels pass through without Iranian oversight.
