Trump posts map labeling Strait of Hormuz as U.S. territory amid ongoing tensions
President Trump shared a map designating the Strait of Hormuz as new U.S. territory, while Iran's parliament speaker said the waterway will stay closed until Tehran's demands are met and incidents in the region continue to rise.
President Donald Trump posted an image on social media that marked the strategic Strait of Hormuz as a "new" U.S. territory, repeating a comment he made the previous week about declaring the waterway American. The post included no additional remarks.
Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, leading Tehran's negotiating team, told lawmakers that the strait will remain closed until the United States lifts the blockade, releases frozen assets, ends the oil embargo and halts all military operations, as reported by Mehr News Agency.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Organization reported that a vessel transiting the strait was struck by an unknown projectile, causing engine-room damage and a crew casualty; the remaining crew received assistance from the Omani Coast Guard.
The United Nations Secretary-General’s spokesperson Stephane Dujarric warned of an "alarming and concerning intensification of violence" in southern Lebanon, noting intense kinetic activities, airstrikes and maritime actions over the weekend, and the discovery of unexploded ordnance by UNIFIL peacekeepers.
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright described the strait as a "conflict zone" where ship-traffic disruptions persist, noting that tracking data had been turned off and that about 30 vessels passed through on Sunday, moving "millions" of barrels of oil and gas daily. He said U.S. military escorts demonstrate American control, while acknowledging short-term disruptions linked to the broader conflict with Iran.
Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said Iranian drones targeted his office and the home of the region’s security chief, calling the attacks "reckless and unacceptable" and urging a probe into their origins.
Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Mike Johnson said the United States is working toward a resolution of the Iran conflict, emphasizing the importance of keeping the strait open for global commerce and its impact on fuel and food prices.
The article also referenced remarks by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner about meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas officials regarding a Gaza peace plan, and Trump’s comments defending conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier.