Overview
- President Donald Trump said he will declare the Strait of Hormuz U.S. territory after the United States “finishes defeating” Iran, comments he made publicly during a political event and amplified by an AI image he posted online.
- Iran’s government forcefully rejected the claim, with senior officials saying the strait ‘has been Iranian, is Iranian and will remain Iranian’ and warning that passage will open only by Iranian order.
- U.S. Central Command reported redirecting dozens of commercial vessels and says commercial traffic through the strait has plunged, reflecting a de facto U.S. naval posture that has sharply limited normal shipping.
- Iran and Oman report progress on a bilateral safe-navigation route through the strait, but both sides say details and a joint declaration remain unfinished and that reopening also depends on U.S. actions.
- The confrontation comes as the 60-day June memorandum between Washington and Tehran approaches its deadline, with stalled talks, rising fuel prices and regional actors pursuing contingency navigation and diplomatic channels.