Trump threatens extraordinary move to claim Strait of Hormuz as US territory President says US will take control of vital oil route after Iran is defeatedDonald Trump has announced an extraordinary plan to declare the Strait of Hormuz a US territory, dramatically escalating the stakes in the confrontation with Iran. Speaking at a rally in New York on Friday, Trump said the move would come after the US finishes defeating Iran, which he claimed was already being “very badly defeated”. “Pretty soon, I'll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States,” Trump told a crowd of first responders. He added: “We have the blockade. No ships get through unless we want them to.” US claims blockade can continue indefinitelyTrump's extraordinary announcement came after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the United States could maintain its blockade of Iran “indefinitely”, suggesting Washington is prepared for a prolonged confrontation. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most strategically important waterways, carrying a huge proportion of global oil supplies between the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea. Control of the strait has consequently become one of the central objectives of the conflict, with both Washington and Tehran seeking to determine what happens to shipping through the narrow passage. Trump's comments indicate that the US may now be contemplating a much more permanent role in controlling the waterway. A stunning escalationDeclaring the Strait of Hormuz US territory would represent a remarkable escalation and would inevitably raise enormous questions over sovereignty and international law. Trump did not provide details of how such a declaration would be implemented or what legal authority he believes would allow the United States to claim the strategically vital waterway. For now, it remains a presidential declaration of intent rather than an established change in the status of the strait. But the message from Washington is unmistakable: the US does not appear prepared simply to reopen Hormuz and walk away. Iran war becomes political problemThe comments also come at a difficult political moment for Trump. The economic consequences of the war are mounting, while concerns over dwindling stocks of key weapons are adding to pressure on the administration. The conflict is also becoming an increasingly important issue ahead of November's congressional midterm elections, with Republicans facing the political consequences of a war that shows no obvious sign of ending. Trump was visiting Nassau County, where he narrowly won in 2024 after Republicans flipped the area for the first time in more than two decades. Trump turns police rally into political showThe president had originally travelled to the Nassau County Police Academy to highlight what his administration describes as a historic fall in violent crime. He was joined by newly confirmed Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel at the 89,000-square-foot police training and intelligence centre. But the rally quickly became a broader political event, with Trump praising his administration, attacking “Radical left Democrats” and taking another swipe at former President Joe Biden, whom he again branded “Sleepy Joe”. The White House said Trump's administration had delivered safer American neighbourhoods and accused Democrats of undermining law enforcement. Hormuz now at centre of the crisisYet it was Trump's remarks about Iran and the Strait of Hormuz that produced the most extraordinary moment of the event. The president is now talking not merely about keeping the waterway open, but potentially claiming it for the United States after the war. With Washington insisting that its blockade can continue indefinitely and the economic consequences of the conflict spreading far beyond Iran, Hormuz has become the critical pressure point of the entire confrontation. If Trump follows through on his threat, the aftermath of the Iran war could involve a battle over far more than Tehran's military defeat. It could become a fight over who controls one of the world's most important strategic waterways — and whether America intends to control it permanently. SOURCE
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