Trump Jokes About Claiming Strait of Hormuz After Iran Defeat

President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he plans to declare the Strait of Hormuz a territory of the United States following the defeat of Iran, a statement swiftly rejected by Tehran and later clarified by a White House official as a joke. The exchange underscores a central dispute in the ongoing conflict and complicates diplomatic efforts to end the war.

Speaking at a political rally at the Nassau County Police Academy in Garden City, New York, on August 14, Trump stated, "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." He asserted complete American control over the passage due to a U.S. naval blockade, adding, "No ships get through unless we want them to." The White House later clarified that the president was joking and had not met with advisers to discuss such a move.

Iran responded forcefully the following day. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi posted on social media that the "Strait of Hormuz has been Iranian, is Iranian, and will remain Iranian." He declared the waterway would only be opened or closed under Iran's command and urged the United States to...