Published 08/15/2026 – 9:04 GMT+2 Tehran has said the Strait of Hormuz “will remain Iranian” in response to a warning from US President Donald Trump that he would soon declare the strategic waterway “US territory”. The Strait, a crucial point for oil and gas transit connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, has been one of the main sticking points in talks between Washington and Tehran, the latter of which effectively closed the passage after the outbreak of war with Iran in late February. Speaking in New York on Friday, Trump, chuckling, said: “After we finish defeating Iran, which is being badly defeated, very soon I will declare the Strait of Hormuz a United States territory.” “We have the blockade. No ship will be able to pass through it unless we want it,” he added. It was unclear how serious Trump was being with his comments, but it still provoked a fierce response from Tehran. Responding to the comments in a post on “This strait will only be closed and opened under Iran’s command, and as long as they do not accept the reality of defeat and cease their delusional fantasies, Iran will continue to apply the blockade,” he added. Tensions have repeatedly flared over the waterway, which typically carries around a quarter of the world’s maritime oil trade, as both sides claim control despite a “memorandum of understanding” agreed in June. Under the terms of the interim agreement, Iran had been required to reopen the waterway and reaffirm that it “will not acquire or develop nuclear weapons.” For its part, the United States said it would lift its naval blockade of Iran and lift sanctions on Tehran. The agreement had given the two countries 60 days to reach a final agreement. However, Iranian attacks on shipping in the Strait in July sparked another wave of US attacks and a renewed naval blockade of Iranian ports, threatening peace efforts.
