President Trump says he will soon declare the Strait of Hormuz United States territory amid the war with Iran
Trump told a New York rally he will soon declare the Strait of Hormuz US territory once Iran is defeated; Iran's deputy foreign minister rejected the claim. Per Al Jazeera and Mediaite.
President Trump said at a Long Island, New York rally on August 14, 2026 that he will soon declare the Strait of Hormuz United States territory, saying it would happen after the US finishes 'defeating Iran.' The strait, through which roughly a fifth of the world's oil and gas normally transits, has been a central flashpoint since the US-Israeli war on Iran began on February 28, 2026. Iran has largely blocked the strait since the war began and says it remains under its own control, while the US has imposed its own naval blockade on Iranian ports. Iran's deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, rejected Trump's claim, saying the strait 'cannot be taken over by a tweet, nor by an aircraft carrier, nor by issuing a decree, nor by an election speech.' Sources: Al Jazeera, Mediaite.