President Donald Trump stated on August 14 that he intends to officially designate the Strait of Hormuz as a territory of the United States. Speaking in Garden City, New York, the president framed the move as a natural extension of the current American naval blockade, which he claims has effectively crippled the Iranian economy by restricting its oil exports.
Trump asserted that the U.S. currently dictates passage through the vital waterway, noting that commercial vessels are permitted to transit only with American approval. He described the blockade as a demonstration of U.S. authority, declaring, “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. Essentially that’s what we have. We have the blockade. No ships get through unless we want them to.”
The administration’s stance has drawn sharp criticism from Tehran. Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, dismissed the president’s remarks as ineffective rhetoric. “The Strait of Hormuz cannot be seized by tweet, nor by aircraft carrier, nor by issuing an order, nor by an election speech. Iran neither fears threats nor cowers before displays of power,” Gharibabadi stated.
Tensions in the region remain high following the collapse of a July memorandum of understanding intended to negotiate an end to hostilities. Since then, Iran has resumed targeting vessels it claims lack authorization to enter the channel. Notably, the United Arab Emirates attributed drone strikes on two tankers in the strait on August 13 to Iranian forces.
Despite the ongoing conflict, the Pentagon maintains that its military strategy is sustainable. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, speaking during an August 13 visit to Panama, confirmed that the U.S. Navy possesses the logistical capacity to enforce the blockade indefinitely by rotating naval assets in and out of the region.
Addressing the domestic political impact of the conflict, Trump defended the resulting surge in fuel costs, which have remained above $4 per gallon nationally. With midterm elections approaching, the president insisted he would “never apologize” for the military campaign against Iran, arguing that the economic burden is a necessary sacrifice to prevent a “very evil country” from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Trump emphasized that the current situation serves a broader global interest. “For you to pay a tiny, little bit more for your gasoline, just remember, it’s so a very evil country can’t have a nuclear weapon,” he told the audience in New York. “When you have to pay a little bit more, you’re at $4, it’s OK—I mean, I will never apologize, I did the right thing. You just have to remember that what we’re doing is a great service for the world.”
While the president’s announcement regarding the status of the strait signals a significant escalation, it remains unclear whether this represents a formal shift in U.S. policy or a continuation of the administration’s aggressive rhetoric regarding the Persian Gulf accessway.
Iran has rejected Trump’s characterization of the strait, asserting it is instead under the “complete management and control” of Iran and that no commercial ships can go through without Iran’s permission.
In his remarks in New York, Trump also addressed high gas prices as a result of the war in Iran, saying he will “never apologize” for his decision to attack Iran and arguing the cause of the war is worth the higher costs