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Trump’s Hormuz Territory Claim
President Donald Trump said Friday he would soon declare the Strait of Hormuz a “territory of the United States” after “we finish defeating Iran,” speaking at the new Nassau County Police Academy in Garden City, New York.
““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”
Trump said the U.S. blockade of the strategic waterway remains in place, adding “no ships get through unless we want them to,” while Iranian military officials disputed U.S. control.
Reuters reported that Hossein Taeb, the recently appointed head of Iran's Basij paramilitary unit, said the Strait of Hormuz is “under Iran's control and management,” and Iran’s joint military command later said no vessel could transit without Tehran’s permission.
The dispute unfolded as the war began with U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, and Reuters said Tehran effectively shut the strait through which a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas was previously shipped.
Competing Control, Blockade
CNN said Trump plans to declare the Strait of Hormuz a U.S. territory after “we finish defeating Iran,” while CBS News reported that Trump wrote on Truth Social that the U.S. has “total control” and might “keep it.”
Reuters reported that Iran’s joint military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said “no vessel could transit the Strait of Hormuz without Tehran's permission,” after Taeb’s comments.
Iran’s central military command called U.S. claims “baseless lies and fabrications,” Anadolu Ajansı reported, while Reuters described Iran’s position that the strait is under Tehran’s management and control.
Anadolu Ajansı also said the U.S. and Iran agreed to a Pakistan-brokered ceasefire in April and later signed a deal on June 17 launching negotiations, but talks stalled over security guarantees and freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
Shipping, Sanctions, and Next Moves
Anadolu Ajansı said that as of Aug. 12, in the 166 days since the war began, 3,371 vessels have crossed the strait, around 20% of pre-war traffic volumes, citing data from Kpler.
“As of Aug. 12, in the 166 days since the war began, 3,371 vessels have crossed the strait”
The Jerusalem Post reported that shipping traffic fell below the month average toward the end of the week, noting that based on Kpler data in August so far, nine vessels transited the strait on Thursday, up from five the previous day.
Middle East Eye said an Iranian parliamentary committee approved the principles of a strategic plan governing security and development in the strait and the Gulf, and quoted Valiullah Bayati saying the plan’s general outline was approved.
Middle East Eye also reported that U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the Trump administration would announce new measures against Tehran next week, warning that the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz would “keep anything from going in or out of the Iranian ports,” while the U.S. and Iran continued competing claims over control.
