Iranian officials said the Strait of Hormuz would not reopen until the U.S. intervention and naval blockade ended. The Tehran administration also demanded that the terms of the agreement signed with Washington on June 17 be fulfilled.
Following these remarks, U.S. President Donald Trump posted a map on his social media account depicting the strategic waterway as U.S. territory. The image labeled the Strait of Hormuz “New U.S. Territory.”
At an event he attended on August 14, Trump said the U.S. Navy was enforcing a total blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. At the same event, he recalled that he had previously said he could declare the strait U.S. territory.
After completely defeating Iran—which is being very heavily defeated—I will declare the Strait of Hormuz U.S. territory within a short time.
In another social media post, Trump said the United States had “full control” over the Strait of Hormuz and that he believed Washington could maintain that control.