Trump Says Strait of Hormuz Will Become US Territory

US President Donald Trump has said he intends to declare the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz US territory. On Tuesday, he posted a map of the region with the strait circled, calling its reopening one of the key sticking points in resolving the conflict with Iran.

Tensions have escalated amid the war that the US and Israel launched against Iran on February 28. This week marked the expiry of the 60-day deadline set by a memorandum of understanding signed in June — a document meant to pave the way for a broader agreement to end the war and restore shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. No deal was reached, and Washington is reportedly refusing to extend the deadline.

Tehran's Position

Iranian negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the strait will remain closed until the US fulfills the terms of the agreement — including lifting the naval blockade, removing sanctions and unfreezing Iranian assets. Trump himself, however, has no intention of easing the blockade on Iranian ports.

Threat to Oman

On Monday, the US president threatened to strike Oman — a US ally that has been negotiating with Tehran over shipping rules through the Strait of Hormuz. He warned he would order a strike if Muscat became an obstacle to a peace deal with Iran.

"If Oman gets in our way, we will bomb it to smithereens," Trump said in an interview with Fox News.

This is not the first such statement from the American leader. Last week he already said that "as soon as we defeat Iran, I will fairly soon declare the Strait of Hormuz to be United States territory," without providing further details. Iran categorically rejects every such statement, insisting the strait will remain under Iranian control.

Source: novinky.cz