Iran Reaffirms Control Over Strait of Hormuz After Trump’s Remarks

Iran’s deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, said on X that the Strait of Hormuz "has been Iranian, is Iranian, and will remain Iranian" and that it will be opened or closed only at Iran’s discretion. The statement was made after U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking in New York, joked that he would soon declare the strategic waterway a U.S. territory once "we finish defeating Iran." Trump added that the United States controls the passage, allowing ships through only at its discretion. The remarks, which were unclear in seriousness, prompted the Iranian response. The strait, a key conduit for about a quarter of global seaborne oil, has been a point of contention in negotiations between the two countries. A June memorandum of understanding required Iran to reopen the waterway and commit not to develop nuclear weapons, while the United States agreed to lift its naval blockade and sanctions. Subsequent Iranian attacks on shipping in July led to renewed U.S. strikes and a reinstated naval blockade of Iranian ports, complicating ongoing peace efforts.