Trump labels Hormuz Strait ‘new US territory’ as Iran tensions intensify

United States President Donald Trump has made a claim about the Strait of Hormuz being a “new territory of the US” in a bid to strengthen his position about the control of the strategic passage amid the ongoing tussle with Iran.

The announcement came from Trump on Tuesday via a graphic shared on his social media platform known as Truth Social, which stated that the Strait of Hormuz is a “NEW U.S. Territory.”

It is worth noting that this graphic was later shared by the White House account on X.

The graphic features a map of the Strait of Hormuz, highlighted in blue, with a circle around the narrow waterway linking the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman. The words “NEW U.S. Territory” are displayed across the image.

Trump’s latest move comes days after he said the United States could take control of the strategic passage following the defeat of Iran.

Speaking at a political rally in New York State on Friday, Trump said, “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.”

“It’s true,” he added.

Trump had previously described the proposal as “a great idea” and “an excellent idea”, pointing to the presence of US naval forces and the blockade in the region.

The Strait of Hormuz is a critical global energy route, with about 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas supplies typically passing through the waterway.