U.S. President Donald Trump addressed control of the strategic maritime route over the weekend, making an unusual declaration that he may claim it as American territory. “After we finish defeating Iran, which is being defeated very badly, very soon I will declare the Strait of Hormuz as territory of the United States,” Trump said.
1+The president went on to claim the U.S. already controls which ships pass through the strait. “We have the blockade. No ship passes unless we want it to pass,” he said. Trump made the comment about turning the Strait of Hormuz into “territory of the United States” with a smile, and it’s unclear whether he was presenting an actual policy move or deliberately provoking Tehran amid the ongoing confrontation. Iran didn’t hold back. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi rejected the American president’s remarks and made clear that from Tehran’s perspective, there’s no change in who controls the strait. “The Strait of Hormuz was Iranian, is Iranian, and will remain Iranian,” the Iranian official declared. According to him, “The strait will close and open only on Iran’s orders.” Tehran made clear it intends to continue its current policy as long as the U.S. doesn’t accept Iran’s conditions.
1+Another Iranian official chose to mock Trump directly, saying “you can’t control the Strait of Hormuz through a tweet.” According to him, contrary to social media declarations, actual control of the strategic waterway remains in Iranian hands. The war of words comes against the backdrop of growing tensions in the strait, one of the world’s most important shipping routes. According to Reuters, ship traffic in the area has slowed significantly after additional attacks on vessels, while the U.S. threatens to increase pressure on Tehran and Iran continues to use its control over the maritime passage as one of its main leverage points.