US President Donald Trump said he plans to soon declare the Strait of Hormuz "a territory of the United States" as he once again asserted U.S. control of the critical waterway amid the war in Iran, USA Today reports.
Trump made the extraordinary remark as he touted the success of an American naval blockade of Iranian ports that he claims has demonstrated U.S. control of the strait, a major accessway for oil shipping in the Middle East.
"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 in an Aug. 14 speech in Garden City, New York. "Essentially that's what we have. We have the blockade. No ships get through unless we want them to."
It was unclear whether Trump's comments marked a new policy position or just his latest escalation in rhetoric over the Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman along the coasts or Iran and Oman. Trump claims the United States has opened the strait to all commercial ships other than those from Iran, crippling Iran's economy because of its reliance on oil exports.
Iran has rejected Trump's characterization of the strait, asserting it is instead under the "complete management and control" of Iran and that no commercial ships can go through without Iran's permission.
Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, quickly rejected Trump's latest comments.
"The Strait of Hormuz cannot be seized by tweet, nor by aircraft carrier, nor by issuing an order, nor by an election speech. Iran neither fears threats nor cowers before displays of power," Gharibabadi said in a statement.
