Trump says he will declare Strait of Hormuz US territory after Iran defeat

New York, USA, August 15, 2026 — US President Donald Trump said Friday that he would “soon” declare the strategically important Strait of Hormuz a US territory after what he described as the defeat of Iran, escalating his rhetoric over the waterway at the centre of the ongoing US-Iran conflict.

Trump made the remarks during a political rally at a police academy in New York state. He said the United States would first “finish defeating” Iran and then declare the Strait of Hormuz part of US territory. Trump chuckled after making the statement and added, “It’s true.”

A senior White House official later said Trump was joking and had not discussed such a move with his advisers, according to reporting cited by the Wall Street Journal.

The remarks nevertheless drew an immediate response from Tehran. Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Saturday that the Strait of Hormuz “has been Iranian, is Iranian, and will remain Iranian.” He also said the waterway would be opened or closed only under Iran’s authority.

The dispute comes as the Strait of Hormuz remains at the centre of the confrontation between Washington and Tehran. Traffic through the waterway, a major route for global energy shipments, has fallen sharply since the conflict began on February 28. The United States has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports, while Iran has restricted much civilian shipping and continues to assert control over the strait.

Trump has repeatedly claimed that the United States has effective or “total” control over the waterway. Iran has rejected those claims and continued to insist that it controls decisions over passage through the strait. Recent reporting indicates that only a very small number of commercial vessels have been transiting the waterway.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most important energy chokepoints, connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. Before the current conflict, roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies passed through the waterway, making prolonged disruption a major concern for energy markets and consumers worldwide.