Iran has rejected US President Donald Trump’s claim that he would soon declare the Strait of Hormuz a US territory, insisting that the strategic waterway “has been Iranian, is Iranian, and will remain Iranian.”
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the strait would only be opened or closed under Iran’s authority.
Trump made the controversial remark during a political rally in New York on Friday, saying he would declare the Strait of Hormuz a US territory after defeating Iran. However, a White House official later told the Wall Street Journal that Trump was joking.
The dispute comes amid continued tensions between Washington and Tehran, with attacks on vessels reported in and around the strategic waterway.
The Strait of Hormuz is a crucial global energy route, carrying about one-fifth of the world’s oil and LNG exports before the current conflict. Its disruption has contributed to rising energy prices and increased concerns over global shipping.
Iran has demanded several conditions for reopening the waterway, including an end to what it describes as US-led aggression, the lifting of sanctions, the release of frozen assets and compensation for wartime damage.
Meanwhile, the United States has maintained a blockade of Iranian ports, with Trump saying no ships would pass unless Washington allowed them.
The escalating dispute has increased concerns about the future of one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints.
