US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he intends to declare the Strait of Hormuz a territory of the United States, reiterating comments he made earlier in the week during remarks at a police academy near New York City.
"After we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly defeated, pretty soon I'll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States," Trump said at the Nassau County Police Academy Center for Training and Intelligence in Garden City, New York, on August 14.
On Sunday, Trump elaborated on the proposal when asked by journalists to clarify his earlier statement. "I just think it's a great idea," he said. "We control it with the blockade, and I like the idea of declaring it a territory. We have total control over the Strait."
Trump stated that the strait is currently open and suggested that declaring it US territory might either halt or increase the flow of oil through the passage. "Maybe that will stop, or maybe it'll open up even further. But we're taking out millions of barrels of oil a week," he said.
The president added that oil prices are declining and will continue to do so unless the United States takes action that is "far more drastic," though he did not specify what such measures might entail.
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical chokepoint for global trade, with approximately one-fifth of the world's seaborne oil and gas supplies typically passing through the waterway between Oman and Iran. The waterway has been largely closed since the outbreak of conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran in late February 2026.
Trump emphasized US military control of the passage, stating, "We have the blockade. No ships get through unless we want them to." He also noted that the US has established what he described as a "steel wall" in the region.
Iran has rejected Trump's assertions. On Saturday, Iran's deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, called the president's remarks "fanciful delusions" and stated that the Strait of Hormuz "has been Iranian, is Iranian, and will remain Iranian." Gharibabadi added that "this strait will only be closed and opened under Iran's command."
A memorandum of understanding signed between the United States and Iran in June was set to expire on Sunday, August 18, amid the ongoing military and diplomatic deadlock over the waterway's status.
Trump acknowledged the economic effects of the nearly six-month conflict but argued that preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons justified the costs. "When you have to pay a little bit more, you're at $4. It's okay," he said regarding gasoline prices.
According to reporting, the number of ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz per day in July was five times lower than before the conflict began.
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