Trump says he will declare the Strait of Hormuz "US territory"; Tehran hits back | The Refract
What the comparison reveals
What everyone says
Donald Trump announced at an election rally in Garden City / Nassau County on August 14 that he would 'soon' declare the Strait of Hormuz a territory of the United States once Iran was 'defeated'.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi rejected this claim on X, stating that the strait 'has been Iranian, is Iranian, and will remain Iranian' and cannot be 'seized either by tweet, by aircraft carrier, or by decree'.
The Strait of Hormuz is presented as a major axis of global hydrocarbon trade, with approximately one-fifth of global oil and gas passing through it before the conflict.
Where it breaks apart
— Seriousness of the announcement — Some media outlets relay the clarification, attributed to an anonymous White House official cited by the Wall Street Journal, that Trump was joking; others relay the statement without this nuance, treating it as an affirmative position.
— Legal angle vs. energy angle — Some countries analyze the claim through the lens of maritime law and maritime traffic data (UNCLOS, UKMTO, Kpler), while others measure it primarily against its impact on energy prices and import costs.
— Interpretive framework of the announcement — The American press relays the official formulation of naval blockade as stated by Trump, while Russian state agencies interpret it through the categories of American hegemony and the inconsistency between discourse and actual maritime traffic figures.
Explore every perspective on this subject across 15 countries.
Trump says he will declare the Strait of Hormuz "US territory"; Tehran hits back
published on
August 16, 2026
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US President Donald Trump declared on Friday, August 14, 2026, during a campaign rally in Garden City (Nassau County, New York), that he would proclaim the Strait of Hormuz "US territory" "very soon" once Iran was "defeated". Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi rejected this claim on X, stating that the strait "has been Iranian, is Iranian, and will remain Iranian". The announcement comes as maritime traffic in the strait remains severely reduced and fuel prices have risen sharply since the conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran began on February 28.
The move remains without concrete effect: a White House official called it a joke, and the strait remains under mutual blockade between Washington and Tehran.
The White House
According to WSJ journalist Brian Schwartz, an anonymous official claims Trump was joking, having not discussed it with his advisers.
Legal framework
The strait is shared between Iranian and Omani waters; the Montego Bay Convention guarantees international passage.
Richard Haass
The former US diplomat notes that no single country controls the Strait of Hormuz alone (The Hill).
Mutual blockade
Washington blocks Iranian ports in the strait, which Tehran has locked down from its side since February 28.
Understand the context
FEB 28, 2026
US-Israeli strikes on Iran; navigation in the strait halts.
AUG 14, 2026
In Garden City (New York), Trump announces he will declare the strait US territory.
AUG 15, 2026
Key figures
20%
Share of global oil and gas transiting the Strait of Hormuz before the conflict
