United States President Donald Trump announced plans on Friday to declare the Strait of Hormuz a United States territory as peace negotiations with Iran remain deadlocked. The waterway, a vital chokepoint for global oil and trade, has seen mounting military blockades and attacks since the US-Israeli war began in February.
Almost six months into the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran, the conflict has reached a critical diplomatic and strategic stalemate. While peace talks have brought down the intensity of fighting across the wider Middle East, efforts to reopen the critical shipping lane have completely stalled.
Tehran continues to defy Washington’s demands, maintaining control over parts of the waterway through strikes on commercial vessels. In response, the US has established a blockade, recently firing on a cargo vessel accused of attempting to reach Iranian ports.
Trump’s Territory Threat and the Hormuz Blockade
Speaking at a police academy in Long Island, New York, on Friday, Trump told supporters that his administration would soon take formal ownership of the maritime corridor.
“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 it is. We have the blockade. No ships get through unless we want them to.”
Donald Trump, US President
The seriousness of the remark and whether it signals an official shift in US policy remains unclear, given that the waterway is an internationally navigable strait bordered by Iran and Oman. Earlier in the week, Trump claimed on social media that the US held “total control” over the corridor and stated, I think we will keep it
.
Tehran fired back swiftly against the latest rhetoric. Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, rejected the threats on social media.
“The Strait of Hormuz cannot be taken over by a tweet, nor by an aircraft carrier, nor by issuing a decree, nor by an election speech. Iran is neither afraid of threats nor intimidated by a show of force.”
Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister
Economic Pressures, Tolls, and Stalled Ceasefire Negotiations
Control over the strait remains the central stumbling block in ongoing ceasefire negotiations. Tehran has demanded that the US corrects its behavior
, completely compensate[s]
Iran for war damage, lifts economic sanctions, and unconditionally
releases frozen assets before it will lift restrictions on the waterway.
Before the war began on February 28, the strait served as an artery for roughly 20 percent of the global oil supply. The near-total closure of the chokepoint has sent fuel prices surging, forcing working Americans to pay significantly more at the pump.
Addressing the economic fallout during his Friday speech, Trump defended the rising costs and dismissed concerns over public backlash.
“When you have to pay a little bit more, you’re at $4, it’s OK, I mean, it’s not. I’ll never apologize. I did the right thing.”
Donald Trump, US President
Both nations have floated the idea of imposing commercial tolls on the strait. Trump previously suggested that the US could act as the guardian of the waterway while collecting a 20 percent fee on passing products. Legal experts point out that such tolls violate international law, which protects the free transit of commercial maritime vessels.
Domestic Political Stakes and Escalating Economic Measures
Trump’s New York appearance also served as a rally for Republican candidates ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, where control of the US Congress hangs in the balance. The administration faces a challenging domestic political landscape as the war maintains broad unpopularity; a late July poll conducted by Quinnipiac University found that 60 percent of US voters oppose military action against Iran.
Behind the scenes, the administration is pairing its naval posture with financial pressure. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicated that the US may unveil additional economic measures in the coming days to further isolate and weaken Iran’s economy, building upon decades of existing sanctions.
