United States President Donald Trump has said he will “soon” declare the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz part of US territory, as tensions betwe ween Washington and Tehran continue to escalate.
Trump made the declaration on Friday during a political rally at a police academy in New York, claiming that Iran was being heavily defeated.
“Pretty soon I’ll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States. It’s true,” Trump said with a chuckle.
The remarks came amid renewed uncertainty over the reopening of the waterway, a critical global shipping route through which a significant share of the world’s oil supplies passes.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, in an interview published on Saturday, said Tehran had not decided to resume negotiations with Washington.
He said messages exchanged through Qatar and Pakistan did not constitute formal negotiations between Iran and the United States.
According to Araqchi, separate discussions with Oman were focused on establishing a sea route through the Strait of Hormuz, while the United States would have to meet certain Iranian conditions before shipping could fully resume through the waterway.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi also rejected any suggestion that Tehran would relinquish control of the strategic passage.
“The Strait of Hormuz has been Iranian, is Iranian, and will remain Iranian,” Gharibabadi said in a post on X.
He added that the waterway “will be opened and closed only at Iran’s command.”
The latest exchange highlights the growing tensions over the Strait of Hormuz, whose strategic importance extends far beyond Iran and the United States, with disruptions to shipping through the waterway capable of affecting global energy supplies, trade and prices.
