Key facts
- President Donald Trump posted an image on Truth Social labeling the Strait of Hormuz as 'New US Territory.'
- Iran rejected the claim, with Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi stating the strait 'will remain Iranian.'
- Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been significantly impacted, with reports of a vessel being struck by an unknown projectile.
- Iran has tied the reopening of the strait to Washington fulfilling an interim agreement, including ending its naval blockade and lifting sanctions.
- Iranian officials accused Israel of obstructing negotiations and prolonging the conflict.
US President Donald Trump posted an image on his social media platform, Truth Social, labeling the Strait of Hormuz as 'New US Territory.' The map, which shows the strategic waterway between Iran and Oman circled with the banner, was posted without additional comment.
This assertion follows previous statements by Trump claiming US control over the strait. Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi responded to Trump's post, stating that the Strait of Hormuz 'has been Iranian, is Iranian, and will remain Iranian' and that it 'will only be closed and opened under Iran's command.'
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical global chokepoint, through which approximately a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas passes. Traffic has been significantly impacted since the start of the US-Israel-Iran war in February, with Iran restricting passage as leverage. Notably, Iran and Oman have reportedly reached an agreement on transit route maps for the Strait, with details for a joint statement being finalized.
Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stated on Tuesday that the waterway would remain closed until Washington honored commitments including lifting the blockade and releasing frozen assets. Traffic through the strait remained in single digits on Monday as negotiations stalled. The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported that a departing vessel was struck by an unknown projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, causing damage and a crew casualty.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused Israel of working to derail negotiations and prolong the conflict, stating that the 'Zionist regime' made every effort to prevent an agreement from being reached or implemented. Senator Chris Murphy commented that there is no current path to get Iran to give up its nuclear program, suggesting Iran is leveraging the situation for sanctions relief. China's refined fuel exports rose in July, while annual inflation in Iran reached 66 percent.