Iran warns Trump over ‘delusion’ of claiming Strait of Hormuz as US territory

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi has slammed US President Donald Trump over his claim to the Strait of Hormuz, warning that his “delusion” of portraying the strategic waterway as “new US Territory” will either be corrected or Tehran will set him straight. “Just as Trump correctly referred to the Persian Gulf by its proper name, his delusion about the Strait of Hormuz will soon either be dispelled, or we will set this deluded man straight,” Gharibabadi wrote on X. همانطور که ترامپ نام خلیج همیشگی فارس را به صورت صحیح نوشت، به زودی توهمش درخصوص تنگه هرمز یا اصلاح می شود یا توهمات این متوهم را اصلاح خواهیم کرد. pic.twitter.com/gpxqnGK077 — Gharibabadi (@Gharibabadi) August 18, 2026 The US president posted an image on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday showing a map labeling the Strait of Hormuz as “New US Territory,” without further comment. The post came days after Trump claimed he would “pretty soon” declare the Persian Gulf waterway US territory. He also threatened to bomb Oman if it interferes with his efforts to reach a deal with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz. “If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the shit out of them,” Trump said on Monday. His threat against Oman, a US ally, came amid growing frustration over his failure to end the war he launched against Iran and reach an agreement on the Strait of Hormuz. Iran had initially agreed to keep the Strait of Hormuz open to commercial shipping for 60 days following the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the US on June 17. After the US violated the agreement’s terms, including its commitment to a cessation of hostilities on all fronts, Tehran later refused to resume direct talks with Washington. Trump threatens to bomb Oman over Strait of Hormuz talks with Iran US President Donald Trump has threatened to bomb Oman amid ongoing talks between Muscat and Tehran over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran instead entered negotiations with Oman for talks on the future of the waterway, while setting new conditions for any resumption of talks with Washington, including the lifting of illegal sanctions, release of frozen Iranian assets and a permanent end to US aggression. The latest development came after Iran’s Foreign Ministry said on Monday that Tehran and Oman had reached an understanding on a proposed transit arrangement and were finalizing the details of a joint declaration. The talks, according to Tehran, respect the sovereign rights of the coastal states and seek to ensure safe navigation in accordance with international law. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints, linking the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the wider Indian Ocean. Iran restricted transit through the waterway following the start of the US-Israeli aggression against the Islamic Republic in late February. The disruption has already sent shockwaves through global energy and shipping markets, while Iran has maintained that non-hostile vessels can still pass safely through the waterway in coordination with Iranian authorities.