President Donald Trump has escalated his rhetoric on the Strait of Hormuz, declaring that the US would claim the strategic waterway as American territory after defeating Iran. Trump had earlier claimed that the US exercised “total control” over the strait and that he “will keep it” amid stalled negotiations with Iran regarding its reopening.
The statement represents a significant intensification of US claims over one of the world’s most important energy-shipping routes. The Strait of Hormuz carries approximately one-fifth of global petroleum trade. Iran has rejected Trump’s claims, maintaining that the waterway remains blocked and will not reopen until its conditions are accepted.
