President Donald Trump announced he will soon designate the Strait of Hormuz a United States territory, a waterway that carries roughly one‑fifth of global oil shipments. Iran’s deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi rejected the claim, saying control of opening and closure remains Iranian. The exchange heightens tension over a critical chokepoint.
Trump made the remarks during a speech at a police academy on Long Island, New York, on Friday. Iranian officials, including judiciary chief and foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, condemned the statement, while Gharibabadi posted on X that no tweet, carrier, or speech can seize the strait. The United States continues a naval blockade, and talks with Oman on traffic management persist as a June memorandum of understanding expires.
The strait’s closure or restriction affects about 20% of worldwide seaborne oil, keeping fuel prices elevated; U.S. consumers have reported gasoline costs near $4 per gallon since the conflict began. Ongoing uncertainty may pressure shipping rates and oil market liquidity without indicating a directional shift.
Trump asserts the United States already controls the waterway and will formalize it as U.S. territory, whereas Iran maintains the strait is Iranian sovereign territory that only Tehran can open or close. The two sides thus dispute the legal status and practical control of the chokepoint.