Tensions Escalate as President Trump Reasserts Claim Over Strait of Hormuz
WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump has further intensified the ongoing confrontation with Tehran by once again declaring the Strait of Hormuz to be "new US territory." In a post on his Truth Social platform Sunday, the President shared a map that circled the vital maritime chokepoint, reiterating a claim that has become a recurring theme in his administration’s rhetoric since the outbreak of hostilities on February 28.
The President first introduced the idea during a rally in New York on August 15, where he told supporters, "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."
The Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global energy markets, was a pathway for nearly one-fifth of the world’s oil and LNG exports prior to the conflict. While the waterway has been effectively shuttered by Iranian forces since late February, the President continues to assert that the United States maintains "total control" over the region, despite Tehran’s enforcement of strict transit fees and mandatory permission requirements for any vessels attempting to pass.
Iran’s Defiant Stance
Tehran has dismissed the President’s declarations as geopolitical posturing. On Saturday, Mohsen Rezaei, the head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, stated on state television that the strait remains closed and will stay that way until the United States "fulfils its commitments and corrects its behaviour."
Rezaei issued a stark warning to the international community, cautioning nations against siding with the US in what he described as an "economic war." He explicitly stated that any country participating in economic restrictions against Iran would be viewed as an enemy, warning that Tehran would not hesitate to target the interests of those involved.
"So far, we have only targeted military bases, but if they want to impose economic sanctions on us, the United States has oil and economic companies around Iran and elsewhere, and we will strike them," Rezaei warned, adding that any further escalation by the Trump administration would result in a confrontation akin to an "earthquake."
A Global Chokepoint
The impasse surrounding the Strait of Hormuz remains a focal point of the US-Iran conflict. As both sides dig in, the international community remains on edge, watching whether the rhetoric of territorial sovereignty will manifest into further kinetic action or if a diplomatic path can be carved out to reopen one of the world’s most significant shipping lanes.
For now, the President’s repeated social media posts serve as a signal of his administration’s uncompromising stance in the conflict, leaving observers to speculate on how the U.S. intends to back its territorial claims in an increasingly volatile region.
