WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he would declare the Strait of Hormuz U.S. territory after what he described as the defeat of Iran, escalating his claims of American control over the strategic waterway.
“Pretty soon, I will be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States,” Trump said during remarks in New York, according to recordings and reports of his speech.
Trump said the United States was effectively controlling passage through the strait, a critical route for global oil and gas shipments. His comments came amid an ongoing confrontation between Washington and Tehran over the waterway.
Iran and Oman, which are the coastal states bordering the Strait of Hormuz, have previously affirmed their sovereignty and sovereign rights over their respective territorial waters. In a joint statement in June, the two countries said arrangements concerning the strait must respect those rights and comply with international law.
Iran has also disputed U.S. claims of control. Reuters reported on Thursday that Iranian officials said the strait was under Iranian control, while the United States has maintained a naval blockade around Iranian ports and said it was seeking to protect maritime navigation.
The remarks did not immediately indicate what legal or administrative steps the United States would take to assert territorial control over the waterway, and no such change in status was reported as having occurred.
The situation remains fluid as Washington and Tehran continue to dispute control and navigation arrangements in the strait.
