Trump threatens to claim Strait of Hormuz amid Iran war

President Donald Trump said Friday he would “pretty soon” declare the Strait of Hormuz a territory of the United States, escalating a standoff with Iran over one of the world’s most important shipping routes as negotiations to end the war remain stalled.

Speaking at a police academy on Long Island, New York, Trump said the United States had effective control of the waterway through its blockade. The strait, bordered by Iran and Oman, is a crucial chokepoint for global trade and typically carries about one-fifth of the world’s seaborne oil supplies. Al Jazeera reported that it is also critical for natural gas and fertiliser shipments.

“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 said. “Essentially, that’s what it is. We have the blockade. No ships get through unless we want them to.”

The seriousness of the remark, and whether it marked a formal shift in U.S. policy, was not immediately clear. Earlier in the week, Trump wrote on Truth Social that the United States had “total control” over the strait and added, “I think we will keep it.”

Iran rejected the claim. Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, said on X that Tehran would not be intimidated by U.S. threats or military force and that the strait could be opened or closed only under Iran’s authority.

“The Strait of Hormuz cannot be taken over by a tweet, nor by an aircraft carrier, nor by issuing a decree, nor by an election speech,” Gharibabadi wrote, according to Al Jazeera. “Iran is neither afraid of threats nor intimidated by a show of force.”

The United States and Israel have been at war with Iran since February, when they launched strikes against the country. Iran responded by restricting traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which had been unrestricted before the war. The Guardian reported that the waterway has been all but closed since the start of the conflict.

Control of the strait has become a major sticking point in ceasefire talks. In June, the United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding intended to halt military operations, Al Jazeera reported. One of its terms called on Iran to make its “best efforts for the safe passage of commercial vessels,” but both sides later accused each other of violating the agreement, and fighting resumed by the end of the month.

The United States has blockaded Iranian shipping and ports in recent months to increase pressure on Tehran. Al Jazeera reported that U.S. forces fired this week on a cargo vessel they accused of trying to reach Iranian ports. Iran has continued to target commercial vessels in the strait, saying part of the waterway falls within its territorial waters and remains under its control.

Trump described the blockade Friday as a service to the world. “You just have to remember that what we’re doing is a great service for the world. Not only for ourselves, for the world,” he said, according to Al Jazeera. “The blockade is unstoppable. It’s a wall of steel.”

Fuel prices have risen sharply since the war began. Trump said Americans paying more for gasoline should see the cost as part of preventing Iran 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.

Iran has said it will not reopen the strait unless the United States “corrects its behavior,” “completely compensate[s]” Iran for war damage, lifts sanctions and “unconditionally” releases frozen assets, The Guardian reported. Al Jazeera reported that Trump told Fox News on Friday he would use economic leverage to weaken and isolate Iran, while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Newsmax that new U.S. economic measures could be announced in the coming days.