Tehran: Iran has strongly rejected remarks made by United States President Donald Trump threatening to declare the Strait of Hormuz American territory, asserting that Tehran maintains undisputed control and sovereignty over the vital energy transit channel. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi stated that the strategic waterway cannot be seized through social media posts, aircraft carriers, executive orders, or political speeches, emphasizing that Iran will neither bow to threats nor yield to displays of military force.
The diplomatic spat follows statements made by Trump during an address in New York, where he asserted that Washington would soon declare the waterway a United States territory following what he characterized as Iran’s military defeat. Trump claimed that American naval forces held complete command over the channel, describing the blockade as a formidable wall of steel, while calling on domestic consumers to tolerate higher fuel prices as part of the broader confrontation.
Dismissing Washington’s claims of naval control, Iranian officials reiterated that the strategic choke point will operate strictly under Tehran’s command until its conditions are formally met. The heightened rhetoric comes amid stalled diplomatic talks regarding regional navigation and economic sanctions, leaving global energy markets on edge as commercial shipping remains constrained through the narrow conduit that typically handles a fifth of the world’s petroleum and liquefied natural gas supplies.
