President Donald Trump announced he will soon declare the Strait of Hormuz a United States territory. The narrow waterway moves roughly one‑fifth of global oil and gas, but ship‑tracking data shows traffic has collapsed to about six vessels a day, far below the pre‑war average of 130‑140, intensifying market attention on energy supplies.
Trump made the statement at a police‑academy rally in Garden City, New York on Friday. Iran’s deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi dismissed the claim, reiterating that the strait remains under Iranian control and that it is jointly governed with Oman. The United States maintains a naval blockade, while Iran has imposed its own closure of the passage.
The abrupt reduction in shipments and the heightened rhetoric add volatility to oil markets and are expected to shape political narratives ahead of the U.S. midterm elections, as higher energy prices become a focal issue for voters and policymakers alike.
Trump insists the U.S. navy controls the strait and that no ship passes without American permission, whereas Iranian officials and former diplomat Richard Haass argue that no nation legally controls the waterway and that traffic remains at a trickle.