Iran pushed back on Saturday, declaring that the strategically important waterway it has blockaded “will remain Iranian” after US President Donald Trump said he would soon declare the Strait of Hormuz part of US territory.
Although commercial activity remains restricted, Trump has repeatedly claimed that the United States controls the strait, which Tehran effectively blocked after the Middle East conflict began in late February.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on X that “The Strait of Hormuz has been Iranian, is Iranian, and will remain Iranian,”
“This strait will only be closed and opened under Iran’s command.”
Recall that at a Friday election event in New York State, Trump declared that “pretty soon I’ll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States” following the United States’ victory against Iran.
However, according to the Wall Street Journal, an anonymous White House official later stated that Trump was making a joke.
Ongoing attacks
Attacks in the Strait of Hormuz have continued, highlighting persistent threats to regional shipping as negotiations between the long-standing adversaries remain stalled.
ADNOC, the state-owned oil firm of the United Arab Emirates, announced on Saturday that one of its vessels was targeted the previous evening.
Abu Dhabi’s foreign ministry later accused Tehran of committing “acts of piracy” in the waterway, attributing the actions to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
This follows accusations from the Gulf state on Friday alleging that Iran launched additional attacks against two ADNOC-affiliated ships navigating through the strait.
Read Also: US threatens Iran, says more economic pressure to come as Two Ships Come Under Attack
Backstory…
Before the war, about one-fifth of the world’s oil and LNG shipments passed through the Strait. Since the crisis began, energy prices have repeatedly surged, increasing political and economic pressure on Washington.
Iran now wants to impose tolls and exercise greater control over the strait, powers it did not hold before the war and that the United States strongly opposes.
With the November midterm elections approaching, the Hormuz blockade has pushed up costs for American voters, creating a political challenge for Trump.
US Vice President JD Vance said this week that keeping American energy costs low remained Washington’s top priority in the Iran war, while preventing Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon ranked second.
