Trump Vows to Declare Strait of Hormuz a US Territory Amid Ongoing Conflict with Iran

United States President Donald Trump announced plans to declare the Strait of Hormuz a territory of the United States as tensions continue to escalate with Iran. Speaking in New York, Trump told supporters that the US would soon claim the vital waterway, which remains critical for the global supply of oil, natural gas, and fertiliser.

Since February 28, the US and Israel have been engaged in a war with Iran following a series of aggressive strikes. In response, Iran has restricted traffic through the strait, a route that previously carried roughly 20 percent of the global oil supply. Control over the waterway has become a major sticking point in ongoing ceasefire negotiations and the site of renewed fighting.

Although the US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in June to halt military operations, the agreement quickly broke down after both sides claimed violations. The conflict has since settled into uneasy negotiations that have lowered the intensity of fighting across the Middle East without bringing the war to a decisive end.

Iranian strikes continue to target commercial vessels in the strait, with Iran arguing that the area falls within its territorial waters. Meanwhile, the US has established its own blockade, recently firing on a cargo vessel accused of attempting to reach Iranian ports. Speaking to law enforcement officials, Trump touted the blockade as an unstoppable wall of steel and a service to the world.

Trump's remarks come as he campaigns in New York to support Republican candidates for the 2026 midterm elections, where control of the US Congress hangs in the balance. Despite his claims of victory over Iran, the war remains widely unpopular, with a Quinnipiac University poll from late July showing that 60 percent of US voters oppose US military action.

In response to Trump's comments, Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, dismissed the statement on social media, emphasizing that Iran is neither afraid of threats nor intimidated by a show of force. Both nations have also floated the idea of imposing tolls on commercial traffic, though legal experts warn such measures would violate international law.

Earlier on Friday, Trump told Fox News he would use economic leverage to isolate Iran, while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested in a Newsmax interview that the US may soon unveil new economic measures against the country.