Trump says he will soon declare Strait of Hormuz U.S. territory
At a rally in New York, President Donald Trump announced plans to designate the Strait of Hormuz as U.S. territory after what he described as a decisive defeat of Iran, while urging Americans to accept higher gasoline prices.
President Donald Trump told a crowd at a police academy in Garden City, New York, that he intends to "soon" declare the Strait of Hormuz a United States territory once the conflict with Iran is resolved. He said the move would follow what he called a "very badly defeated" Iran.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi rejected the statement, saying the waterway would remain under Iran’s control and that the country would not be intimidated.
The remarks came amid a war that began on Feb. 28, when the United States and Israel launched military actions against Iran. Tehran responded with drone and missile attacks on regional allies and a blockade of the strait, which handles about 20% of global oil and LNG shipments. The United States countered with a naval blockade of Iranian vessels, creating a stalemate that has pushed energy prices higher.
During the same rally, Trump urged Americans to accept modest increases in gasoline costs, describing them as a necessary price for preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. He added that the U.S. effort was a "great service for the world" and that no ships would pass the U.S. blockade of Hormuz unless permitted.
Trump also dismissed reports of poor living conditions and mental-health concerns among crew members of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been deployed in the region for nine months. He claimed the deployment was "not nearly enough" and said a similar carrier would soon replace it.
Energy price spikes and the broader economic impact of the conflict are expected to influence the upcoming midterm elections.