Donald Trump announced on Friday that he intends to declare the Strait of Hormuz a territory of the United States after what he described as the ongoing defeat of Iran, drawing an immediate and forceful rejection from Tehran.
Speaking at an event in Nassau, New York, Trump told the crowd:
“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.”
He repeatedly cited the US naval blockade of the strait as evidence of American dominance, describing it as “a wall of steel” and adding: “No ships get through unless we want them to.”
Trump also addressed the economic impact of the war on American consumers, urging the audience to accept higher fuel prices as a necessary cost.
“You’re at four dollars. It’s OK,” he said.
Iran’s Response
Iran’s response was swift and unequivocal. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi posted directly to social media within hours.
“The Strait of Hormuz cannot be seized by tweet, nor by aircraft carrier, nor by issuing an order, nor by an election speech,” he wrote.
“Iran neither fears threats nor cowers before displays of power.”
He went further, stating that the strait “has been Iranian, is Iranian, and will remain Iranian,” and that the waterway “will only be closed and opened under Iran’s command.”
The exchange reflects the hardened positions of both sides as the war enters its sixth month with no resolution in sight. The US reinstated its naval blockade of the strait in July following the collapse of a Memorandum of Understanding that had briefly paused hostilities, with both sides accusing the other of violations.
Meanwhile, the human cost elsewhere in the conflict continues to mount. Israeli strikes on two towns in southern Lebanon on Saturday killed at least nine people and injured eleven others. This was according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Health. Three children and two women were among those killed in Ansar. Two more died in Der al-Zahrani. Israel said the strikes targeted Hezbollah infrastructure in response to attacks on its soldiers. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam rejected that framing directly.
“The seven martyrs of the Israeli airstrike on the town of Ansar are not military infrastructure, nor are the children and women killed in it military targets,” he said.
Lebanon’s president Joseph Aoun condemned the strikes as violations that undermined the June framework agreement. As well as the ongoing American-led negotiations to implement it.
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