Donald Trump just made his boldest territorial claim yet, and it involves one of the world’s most critical waterways. The president floated a dramatic new idea about the Strait of Hormuz while warning Iran about its future.
Donald Trump says he likes the idea of declaring the Strait of Hormuz U.S. territory amid the Iran war
President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday that he supports declaring the Strait of Hormuz U.S. territory, Fox News reported. “We control it. We control it with the blockade. We have a blockade; we control it with the blockade. And I like the idea of declaring it a territory. We could do that,” Trump said. He added that the U.S. maintains “total control over the strait now.” The president also warned that Iran is “in big trouble.”
Trump acknowledged that Iran’s military still poses certain challenges in the waterway. “They can be a nuisance,” he said. “They can put a mine in the water. And people don’t like having mines that their billion-dollar ships, you know.” He then pointed to ongoing oil operations through the strait despite the blockade. “We’re taking out millions of barrels,” Trump stated. He also noted that oil prices “are coming down, and they will continue to come down.”
The remarks came as the 60-day ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran expired on Monday. Both sides remain divided over Iran’s nuclear program and control of the strategic waterway. Trump separately declared that Tehran wants a deal but refuses to accept his terms. “They want to make a deal, but they’re not going to make the kind of a deal that I feel is necessary,” he said.
Meanwhile, Trump described Iran’s dire economic situation. “Iran is in big trouble. They have 300% inflation. The country is a mess and the military is totally defeated,” he said. Oil prices also climbed Monday amid stalled diplomacy. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 2.6% to $84.50 per barrel. Brent crude similarly increased 2.7% to $90.87 a barrel. An Iranian official separately warned that Tehran would shift to an offensive posture if diplomacy fails.
Originally reported by Vritti Johar on Mandatory.com.
