United States President Donald Trump has announced plans to declare the Strait of Hormuz a “territory” of the United States. Speaking at a police academy in Nassau County, New York, on Friday, President Trump told an audience of law enforcement officials that once the U.S. finishes defeating Iran, he will “pretty soon” designate the waterway a U.S. territory. The Strait of Hormuz serves as a crucial chokepoint for global trade, with roughly 20 percent of the world’s seaborne oil and LNG shipments typically passing through the passage.
Economic impact of the conflict between the United States and Iran
The conflict between the United States and Iran began on February 28, following a series of aggressive strikes launched by the U.S. and Israel. Six months into the war, the region remains at an impasse. While global oil and gas markets have calmed since the initial price spikes at the start of the conflict, prices remain significantly higher than pre-war levels. Crude oil futures rose $1 a barrel on Friday. Addressing the economic impact, President Trump urged Americans to accept slightly higher gasoline prices, stating that paying a tiny little bit more
at the pump is the cost of ensuring that a very evil country
cannot obtain a nuclear weapon. 大統領は、我々は実にうまくやっていると述べ、イランへの攻撃について決して謝罪するつもりはないと付け加えた。
U.S. blockade of Iranian shipping and ports
The status of the strait has become a central point of contention. Before the war, the waterway was unrestricted, but it is now effectively closed. The U.S. has maintained a blockade of Iranian shipping and ports to apply economic pressure on Tehran, while Iran has restricted traffic and continues to target commercial vessels, claiming that portions of the strait fall within its territorial waters. Referring to the U.S. blockade, President Trump stated that it was essentially a blockade, and that no ships would be allowed through unless the United States permitted it.
Memorandum of understanding signed by the U.S. and Iran
Diplomatic efforts to reach a ceasefire have struggled. In mid-June, the U.S. and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) intended to halt military operations, which included a term for Iran to make its utmost efforts to ensure the safe passage of commercial vessels. Both sides subsequently claimed violations of the agreement, and fighting resumed by the end of June. A 60-day negotiating period established by that memorandum is set to expire this Monday, with few direct negotiations having occurred. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi stated on Saturday that Iran has not decided to resume talks with the U.S., noting that messages currently being exchanged via Qatar and Pakistan do not amount to formal negotiations.
Kazem Gharibabadi rejection of the threat on X
In response to President Trump’s comments regarding the strait, Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, posted a rejection of the threat on X, formerly Twitter. Gharibabadi stated that the strait would only be opened or closed under Iran’s command, and that as long as the United States failed to accept the reality of its defeat and continued to indulge in delusions, Iran would persist in enforcing the blockade. He further stated that the waterway could not be seized by a tweet, an aircraft carrier, an executive order, or an election campaign speech. It remains unclear how seriously the President intended his remarks or if they represent a formal change in administration policy.