‘After We Finish Defeating Iran’: Trump Says He’ll Soon Declare Strait Of Hormuz ‘US Territory’

Last Updated:August 15, 2026, 02:17 IST

Trump said he would “soon” declare the Strait of Hormuz US territory after defeating Iran.

US President Donald Trump attends a working session during the NATO leaders summit in Turkey. (Reuters file photo)

US President Donald Trump on Friday said he would “soon” declare the Strait of Hormuz a US territory after defeating Iran, escalating his rhetoric over the vital 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 at a rally in New York state. “It’s true,” he added.

The remarks came as shipping through the strategic waterway has fallen sharply amid attacks on vessels and a US naval blockade of Iranian ports.

Hormuz Traffic Nears Standstill

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important energy routes, carrying a significant share of global oil and gas shipments. Traffic has slowed dramatically since the war began in late February, with only a handful of vessels recorded crossing the waterway in recent days.

Reuters, citing ship-tracking data from Kpler, reported that only two commodity vessels crossed the strait on Friday, while no crude oil shipments were visible. Nine commodity vessels had crossed on Thursday, compared with an average of 12 a day in August.

The slowdown follows attacks on two vessels operated by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, which the UAE blamed on Iran. Tehran did not immediately comment.

US Threatens Long-Term Blockade

Trump has repeatedly claimed the US has “total control” of the Strait of Hormuz and said the waterway would remain open under US protection.

On Thursday, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth had said Washington could maintain its naval blockade of Iranian ports indefinitely by rotating ships in and out of the region.

“Indefinitely the United States Navy can maintain a blockade like that because we’ll rotate ships in and out, as we have, and we’ll continue to,” Hegseth told reporters during a trip to Panama.

Trump’s latest remarks came as efforts to revive a ceasefire remained stalled. Iran and the US have traded competing claims over control of the waterway, while continued attacks on shipping have raised fears of a prolonged disruption to global energy supplies.

The latest tensions have already pushed oil prices higher, with Brent crude settling at $88.52 a barrel on Friday.

(With inputs from agencies)

Key Questions Answered

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Could Trump legally declare the Strait of Hormuz US territory?

Under international maritime law, no single nation controls the Strait of Hormuz, as authority over the waterway is divided among nearby nations. Therefore, the US cannot unilaterally declare it as its territory.

What would be the global impact of a Hormuz blockade?

A blockade of the Strait of Hormuz could escalate conflict between Iran and the US, disrupt global shipping, and increase oil prices. It could also lead to widespread global economic damage.

How might Iran respond to such a US declaration?

Iran has previously stated it would respond decisively to US actions regarding the Strait of Hormuz, considering any interference an “unbreakable red line”. Iranian officials have also rejected US claims of control over the strait, insisting it remains under Tehran’s management.

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