President Trump stated he would designate the Strait of Hormuz as U.S. territory in remarks delivered at a police academy on Long Island on Friday. The president characterized the designation as a formalization of existing U.S. military control, noting that the administration maintains a blockade preventing unauthorized maritime passage through the waterway. Trump’s comment came amid ongoing peace negotiations with Iran that have reached an impasse.
The Trump administration has maintained military pressure on Iran through economic measures, including blockades of Iranian shipping and ports. The conflict between the U.S., Israel, and Iran began in February, and approximately six months into the military campaign, diplomatic resolution remains elusive. The status of the strait has become a central point of contention, with Iran refusing to reopen it as a condition for broader negotiations.
Iranian officials rejected Trump’s assertion of territorial authority over the waterway. Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, stated that Tehran would not be intimidated by military threats and that control of the strait rested solely with Iran. Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi indicated that Iran had not resumed formal talks with the United States, characterizing ongoing communications through intermediaries as informal messaging rather than negotiations. Araqchi noted that separate discussions with Oman focused on establishing alternative sea routes and that the U.S. would need to satisfy Iranian conditions before shipping could resume.
The economic impact of the conflict has affected global energy markets, with fuel prices rising since February. The administration has framed higher gasoline costs as a necessary cost of preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, which Trump characterized as the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism. Iran has maintained that the U.S. must change its behavior, provide full compensation for war damages, remove sanctions, and unconditionally release frozen assets before reopening maritime access through the strait.
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