Key facts
- President Donald Trump announced plans to declare the Strait of Hormuz a U.S. territory.
- Trump cited naval blockade control and linked higher gas prices to preventing Iran's nuclear program.
- The U.S. has resumed its naval blockade against Iran.
- Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi stated Tehran would not be intimidated by U.S. threats.
- Gharibabadi asserted that Iran holds authority over the Strait of Hormuz.
President Donald Trump has threatened to declare the Strait of Hormuz a U.S. territory, citing naval blockade control and linking higher gas prices to preventing Iran's nuclear program. The U.S. has resumed its naval blockade against Iran, aiming to increase economic pressure following the collapse of a ceasefire deal.
Trump stated on Friday that he would "pretty soon" designate the waterway, a crucial chokepoint for global trade through which about a fifth of the world’s seaborne oil supplies typically pass, a U.S. territory. This escalation follows failed peace talks with Iran, which has refused to reopen the strait, largely closed since the U.S. and Israel launched their war on Iran in February.
"After we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly defeated, pretty soon I’ll be declaring the Hormuz strait a territory of the United States," Trump said. "Essentially, that’s what it is. We have the blockade. No ships get through unless we want them to."
Earlier in the week, Trump claimed the U.S. had "total control" over the strait and said "I think we will keep it," despite the waterway being an internationally navigable strait bordered by Iran and Oman. U.S. defense secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that the blockade could be maintained "indefinitely."
Iran, however, also claims authority over vessel traffic in the strait. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp Navy commander Ali Azami posted on X that "The strait of Hormuz is closed. Our control over all movements is complete and decisive." Iran has employed sporadic drone and missile attacks to disrupt traffic through the strait. On Friday, the UAE reported that Iran had attacked two vessels linked to the state-owned oil company Adnoc while they were transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
Analysts suggest that stopping such attacks might be nearly impossible for the U.S. without a significant escalation of the conflict or a ceasefire agreement. Michael Doran, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, noted that "We have a messy conflict, which is going to be with us for many, many months, and probably years to come."
Trump remarked that U.S. consumers paying an average of $4 per gallon for gasoline should recognize this higher price as providing a "great service" globally, enabling the prevention of a "very evil country" from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
Trump administration officials maintain that crude exports from the Mideast Gulf are higher than ship tracking data indicates. U.S. energy secretary Chris Wright stated that pipelines are exporting 6 million barrels per day, with tankers exporting an additional 8-9 million barrels per day through the Strait of Hormuz. "In round numbers today, 14-15 million b/d are leaving the Arabian Gulf region, versus the 20 million b/d pre-conflict," Wright said, indicating a shortfall of 4-5 million b/d from the region.