Trump Says He Will Declare Strait of Hormuz US 'Territory'; Iran Pushes Back

US President Donald Trump said in a campaign speech in New York on Friday, August 14, 2026 (23 Mordad 1405), that after Iran's "complete defeat" he will soon declare the Strait of Hormuz "a territory of the United States." According to Al Jazeera, he described the US naval blockade of the strait as "a wall of steel" that is impenetrable. Control of Hormuz, through which roughly 20 percent of global oil exports passed before the US and Israeli war on Iran that began on February 28, 2026 (9 Esfand 1404), has been a central sticking point in ceasefire talks between the two countries.

Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, responded on social media that the Strait of Hormuz "cannot be taken by a tweet, an aircraft carrier, or an election speech," saying Iran is neither afraid nor intimidated. The US and Iran have separately floated the idea of a 20 percent toll on cargo transiting the strait, though legal experts say such a measure would violate international maritime law.