Trump wants to declare Strait of Hormuz as US territory

Donald Trump (Republican Party) announced, on Friday (14.Aug.2026), that he wants to declare the Strait of Hormuz as a “territory” from the United States after according to the president, to defeat Iran. The announcement was made in New York, during a speech to police authorities. The strait is a strategic shipping lane for the global supply of oil, natural gas and fertilizers.

“After we finish defeating Iran, I will soon be declaring the Strait of Hormuz a United States territory.”disse Trump.

Since February 28, 2026, the US and Israel have been waging war with Iran, after launching a series of attacks. In response, the Iranian government began to restrict transit through the strait, which before the war accounted for around 20% of global oil supplies.

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Control of the maritime route has become one of the main points of dispute in ceasefire negotiations between the countries. In June, the US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding to halt military operations. One of the conditions of the agreement was that Iran send its “best efforts for the safe passage of commercial vessels”. Both sides alleged violations of the memorandum, and fighting resumed later that month.

The countries entered a cycle of unstable negotiations, which reduced the intensity of fighting in the Middle East without ending the conflict. Iran continues to attack commercial vessels in the strait, claiming that part of the route is within its territorial waters. The US, in turn, established its own naval blockade in the region.

In his speech on Friday (14 August), Trump described the blockade as impenetrable and presented it as a service provided to countries that depend on traffic through the strait. “What we are doing is a great service to the world. Not just for us, for the world”he stated. “The blockade is unstoppable. It’s a wall of steel”he added.

Reaction and political context

Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, reacted on X. “Trump said that after the defeat of Iran, he will soon declare the Strait of Hormuz as American territory”he wrote. “The Strait of Hormuz cannot be taken by a tweet, nor by an aircraft carrier, nor by issuing a decree, nor by a campaign speech. Iran is not afraid of threats nor intimidated by shows of force.”

Trump’s statement came in a politically sensitive context for his administration. He was in New York to support Republican candidates in the 2026 midterm elections, in a dispute that could define control of the US Congress.

The idea of ​​charging tolls to commercial vessels crossing the strait was floated by both sides. Last month, Trump suggested that the US could become the “guardians” of the Strait of Hormuz and charge a 20% tax on products passing through the route.