Iran Responds After Trump Threatens To Declare Strait Of Hormuz US Territory

Tehran on Saturday rejected US President Donald Trump’s remark that he would “soon” declare the Strait of Hormuz part of United States territory, with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi insisting that the strategic waterway remains under Iranian control. Gharibabadi argued that the strait could not be claimed through a social media post, military deployment or political speech.

Gharibabadi stated that the Strait of Hormuz “has been Iranian, is Iranian, and will remain Iranian,” while maintaining that decisions over its opening and closure would remain with Iran. His remarks came after Trump claimed that the United States would “finish defeating” Iran before declaring the strategically important waterway US territory. The Iranian official also accused Washington of suffering major strategic setbacks in the ongoing conflict.

Trump made the remark during a political rally at a police academy in New York, where he described Iran as being “very badly defeated.” He also argued that Americans paying somewhat higher gasoline prices would be justified if it prevented Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, which he identified as one of the reasons for the US military campaign against Tehran. A White House official later clarified, according to the Wall Street Journal, that Trump had been joking.

Also Read: Trump Signals Plans To Claim Strategic Strait Of Hormuz As US Territory Soon

The Strait of Hormuz is a critical global energy route connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. Iran has repeatedly asserted control over the waterway amid the conflict, while the United States has maintained that it has the capability to operate in the area. Trump had earlier claimed that the US had “total control” over the strait and described the American naval presence there as a “wall of steel.”

Iranian military officials have rejected Washington’s claims regarding unrestricted shipping through Hormuz. Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesperson for Iran’s central military command, said the waterway remained under the management and control of the Islamic Republic and argued that commercial vessels would require permission and supervision from Iranian forces to pass safely. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also accused the United States of making another major miscalculation over the strategic waterway.

The dispute comes amid a wider Middle East conflict that began after joint US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, according to the information provided. Iranian forces subsequently attacked American and Israeli assets in the region. With the Strait of Hormuz serving as one of the world's most important energy corridors, competing claims over control of the waterway have added another major point of tension between Tehran and Washington.

Also Read: UAE Oil Vessel Comes Under Attack While Sailing Through Strait Of Hormuz Waters