US President Donald Trump has escalated the confrontation with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz by posting a map on Truth Social that labelled the strategic waterway as “new US territory”. The move came as Iran continued to restrict commercial traffic through the strait and demanded that Washington fulfil commitments Tehran says were made under an interim peace arrangement. Trump has repeatedly argued that the United States has “total control” over the waterway through its blockade and has publicly supported the idea of declaring it US territory.
Trump had first raised the possibility of declaring the Strait of Hormuz US territory on Friday, saying he would consider the move after the conflict with Iran ended. Speaking to reporters on Monday, he again backed the proposal and said Washington controlled the waterway. The comments add a territorial dimension to an already tense dispute involving navigation rights, military pressure and the movement of vessels through one of the world's most important maritime corridors.
Iran has rejected any immediate return to unrestricted commercial traffic through the strait. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran's top negotiator, said the waterway would remain closed until the United States fulfils commitments Tehran says were included in a memorandum of understanding. Iran is seeking the lifting of the US naval blockade, removal of oil sanctions and the unfreezing of Iranian assets held overseas, which Tehran says were part of a truce reached between the two countries in June.
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The Strait of Hormuz connects the oil-rich Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the wider Arabian Sea, making it a critical route for international energy shipments. Iran has maintained restrictions on navigation during the confrontation, including requiring vessels to obtain permission and pay transit-related fees, while Washington and several regional countries have opposed those measures. Tehran and Oman have also been discussing navigation arrangements, with Iran saying the two sides have agreed on geographical coordinates for a proposed navigation route.
Tensions increased further on Tuesday after an “unknown projectile” struck a vessel travelling through the Strait of Hormuz, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency. The agency said the impact damaged the vessel’s engine room and resulted in a crew casualty, while the remaining crew members were assisted by the Omani Coast Guard. The incident added to concerns over the safety of commercial shipping in the waterway amid the wider US-Iran confrontation.
Trump’s latest map and Iran’s refusal to reopen the waterway have deepened the dispute over sovereignty, navigation and military control of the strait. Any prolonged disruption to shipping through Hormuz could have consequences beyond the immediate US-Iran standoff because of the waterway’s importance to global energy supplies. With Washington demanding freedom of navigation and Tehran linking reopening to the fulfilment of its stated commitments, the Strait of Hormuz remains a major flashpoint in the escalating regional crisis.
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