Trump vows to declare Strait of Hormuz US territory; new policy unclear

Tehran rejects threat, says strait authority rests with Iran

President Donald Trump said Friday he would “pretty soon” declare the Strait of Hormuz a territory of the United States, asserting the US already controls the waterway through its existing blockade. Speaking at a police training facility on Long Island, New York, Trump linked the proposed designation to the US war against Iran, now roughly six months old, and said Tehran was “being very badly defeated.”

Iran rejected the threat within hours. Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, posted on X that Tehran would not be “intimidated” by US threats or shows of force, and that the strait would be opened or closed only under Iran’s authority.

“After we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly defeated, pretty soon I’ll be declaring the Hormuz strait a territory of the United States,” Trump told his audience. “Essentially, that’s what it is. We have the blockade. No ships get through unless we want them to.”

The strait has been effectively closed since February, when the US and Israel launched their war against Iran. Peace talks have been at an impasse for months, with Tehran refusing to reopen the waterway. The US has blockaded Iranian shipping and ports in recent months in an effort to apply economic pressure on Tehran.

Earlier in the week, Trump had asserted on Truth Social that the US already possessed “total control” over the strait and said, “I think we will keep it.” The Strait of Hormuz is an internationally navigable strait bordered by Iran and Oman.

On fuel prices, which have risen sharply since the start of the war, Trump told his audience that Americans paying more at the pump were doing so to prevent “a very evil country” — Iran, in his characterization — from obtaining a nuclear weapon. “When you have to pay a little bit more, you’re at $4, it’s OK, I mean, it’s not. I’ll never apologize. I did the right thing,” he said.

Over the past six months, the Trump administration has repeatedly characterized Iran as defeated and “pleading for a deal.” Tehran has rejected that framing. As recently as last Saturday, Iranian officials said the strait would remain closed until the US “corrects its behavior,” “completely compensate[s]” Iran for war damage, lifts sanctions, and “unconditionally” releases frozen Iranian assets.

Whether Trump’s Friday remark signaled a new policy position for his administration was not immediately clear.