In a threat to claim sovereignty over the critical chokepoint that has been shut down by Iran, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday posted a map on his Truth Social, depicting the Strait of Hormuz as “new US territory”.
On Friday, he said in a light-hearted manner that he would soon declare it to be US territory. On Monday, Trump floated a potential US takeover and suggested that it would be a good idea. The naval blockade remains in full force and effect,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social network on Tuesday.
This is not the first time Trump has raised the idea of a US takeover. “I think it’s a great idea. I mean, we control it with the blockade. I like the idea of declaring it a territory. We have total control over the Strait. Now, they can be a nuisance; they can put a mine in the water, and people don’t like having mines hit their billion-dollar ships. But the blockade has been very effective. Trump has threatened to annex foreign territory in the past too. “There are no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled, with the Islamic Republic of Iran. “The Hormuz Strait is open and operating. All water mines have been removed or detonated. Iran has effectively shut down the chokepoint, through which a fifth of the world’s oil transits, in retaliation for the war Trump started along with Israel in late February.
Since returning to power in 2025, he has threatened to make Canada the 51st US state and seize Greenland and has even alluded to taking control of the Gaza Strip without following through on any of these threats.
Iran quickly responded and said that the strait “will remain Iranian”. Now, maybe that will stop, or maybe it’ll open up even further, but we’re taking out millions of barrels of oil a week if you look at the kind of numbers that we’re doing,” Trump said. Two hours after posting the map, the US president claimed that no talks with Iran are under way or scheduled, contradicting his envoy and son-in-law Jared Kushner, who said on Monday that the US and Iran were having “very positive and active conversations”.
The country’s top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Tuesday that the strategic Strait of Hormuz will not be opened until the United States meets Tehran’s demands, including lifting a naval blockade. He listed the removal of the blockade, the lifting of oil sanctions and unfreezing of Iran’s assets abroad among the demands, which were included in an Iran-US truce in June that later collapsed.
“I want to state clearly that the Strait of Hormuz will not be opened until the American commitments stipulated in the memorandum of understanding… are implemented,” Ghalibaf said in a speech broadcast on state television. Ghalibaf during his speech said Iran was “ready to inflict an even more crushing defeat on the enemy, proportionate to its actions and advances”.
