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.
