Trump says he will soon declare Strait of Hormuz ‘US territory’

US President Donald Trump has threatened a dramatic escalation in the confrontation with Iran, saying he plans to declare the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz “territory of the United States” as Washington prepares further economic pressure on Tehran.

Trump made the remarks during a political gathering in New York and separately told Fox News that the United States was preparing to impose major economic measures on Iran.

The comments came amid an ongoing conflict that has severely disrupted shipping through the key waterway.

The president did not explain what legal or practical steps would be involved in declaring the strait US territory. His remarks nonetheless represent a significant escalation in Washington’s rhetoric over control of the waterway, which lies between Iran and Oman and is one of the world’s most important energy transit routes.

Iran swiftly rejected Trump’s claim. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Tehran was not intimidated by threats or displays of force and insisted that decisions concerning the opening or closure of the Strait of Hormuz remained within Iran’s authority.

The comments come as commercial traffic through the strait has been severely restricted during the conflict. The disruption has heightened concerns over global energy supplies and pushed oil prices higher, given the waterway’s importance to international crude and liquefied natural gas shipments.

Trump has also defended the continued deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln and dismissed concerns raised by the carrier’s crew members’ families over the length of its deployment.

Meanwhile, formal peace talks between Washington and Tehran remain stalled. Iran has indicated that only indirect messages are being exchanged through intermediaries, rather than formal negotiations.

The Strait of Hormuz has become one of the central flashpoints of the conflict, with control of the waterway now closely tied to the broader dispute between Washington and Tehran.