A new round of tensions has been sparked by U.S. President Donald Trump’s statements declaring the Strait of Hormuz “U.S. territory,” prompting an immediate and sharp reaction from Tehran, at a time when the situation in this strategically important waterway remains extremely volatile.
Speaking at a police academy event in Garden City, New York, Donald Trump stated—with a tone and smirk that suggested he was joking—that he intends to soon declare the Strait of Hormuz part of U.S. territory. “As soon as we stop defeating Iran… I will soon declare the Strait of Hormuz part of U.S. territory,” he said, reiterating that the U.S. armed forces have “absolute control” and are enforcing a naval blockade: “No ship gets through unless we let it.”
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In the same speech, the U.S. President insisted that Iran will never acquire a nuclear weapon, defended his decision to go to war, stating that he would never apologize, even if American citizens are paying more for gasoline —with gasoline prices in the U.S. rising by more than 35%— while also referring to Venezuela, speaking of a “one-day war” and the successful securing of millions of barrels of oil.
Trump’s remarks followed statements by Vice President J.D. Vance on Fox News, who identified keeping fuel prices low as the number one goal and ensuring that Tehran does not acquire nuclear weapons as the second.
Tehran’s Response
The reaction from Iranian diplomats was immediate. Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, categorically rejected Washington’s allegations in a post on X.
“The Strait of Hormuz cannot be seized with tweets, nor with aircraft carriers, nor by issuing a decree, nor with campaign speeches,” he emphasized, adding that “the Strait of Hormuz was Iranian, is Iranian, and will remain Iranian.” He stressed that the strait remains closed and will open only by order of Tehran, warning that “as long as the U.S. does not accept its defeat, Iran will continue to enforce the blockade.”
Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, clarified that no decision has been made to resume negotiations with the U.S., although he confirmed that messages are being exchanged through mediators (Qatar and Pakistan).
New attack on a UAE oil tanker
In other developments, Abu Dhabi’s national oil company (ADNOC) announced that one of its tankers was attacked late Friday night in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the official WAM news agency, the incident was brought under control with no injuries reported, and it follows a series of attacks on the company’s vessels in recent days.
READ ALSO: Trump: “I will soon declare the Strait of Hormuz part of U.S. territory” | AlphaNews
Source: KYPE
