Trump: I will soon declare the Strait of Hormuz to be US territory (Update)
Trump: I will soon declare the Strait of Hormuz to be US territory (Update)
2026-08-15
Shafaq News – Washington
On Friday evening, US President Donald Trump revealed his intention to soon declare the Strait of Hormuz “US territory,” while simultaneously threatening Iran with “strong economic blows.”
Trump added to Fox News: “I don’t care whether the economic hit comes before the midterm elections or not.”
He continued, “The naval blockade against Iran is ongoing and is a wall of steel; no ships will pass through unless we allow them to,” reiterating his assertion that Iran will not be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon.
Trump stated, “I told the leaders of my administration that we should take a short trip to the Middle East to avert a potential catastrophe,” without elaborating further.
Earlier today, the White House said that “we have more tools at our disposal to put pressure on Iran,” and that America is continuing to punish Iran and cripple its economy.
For his part, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bisent confirmed that President Donald Trump’s administration is preparing to announce additional measures against Iran next week that are “unprecedented in the history of a country’s economic isolation.”
The threat of new economic measures coincided with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s confirmation of the US Navy’s ability to continue the blockade indefinitely.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Friday evening that 62 commercial vessels had been diverted since the resumption of the naval blockade on Iran on July 14.
In mid-June, the United States diverted 194 ships and disabled 9 ships in the first round of the blockade.
Control of the strait, a transit route for about one-fifth of the world’s oil, has become a major point of contention in negotiations aimed at de-escalating tensions with Iran.
With negotiations to reach an agreement to reopen the waterway faltering, President Donald Trump has returned to economic pressure in the form of US sanctions and a blockade.
shafaq.com
