US President Donald Trump has said he would soon declare the Strait of Hormuz a territory of the United States after what he described as the defeat of Iran.
Trump made the statement on Friday during a political rally at a police academy in New York State, saying the United States had established control over the strategic waterway.
“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,” Trump said, drawing cheers from supporters and police officers at the event.
“It’s true,” he added.
Trump and Israel launched military action against Iran on February 28, with Washington and Tel Aviv citing concerns over Iran’s nuclear programme and hopes of triggering political change in the country.
The conflict has since intensified around the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy corridors and a key route for the transportation of oil and other commodities.
Iran has established effective control over large parts of the waterway, restricting the movement of civilian vessels, while the United States Navy has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports as part of efforts to put further pressure on Tehran.
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“We have the blockade. No ships get through unless we want them to,” Trump told the gathering.
The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea and carries a significant share of global energy shipments, making developments around the waterway a major concern for international markets and energy security.
Trump’s claim that the strategic waterway could become US territory is likely to intensify debate over the future of the strait and the broader confrontation between Washington and Tehran.
