Trump calls Strait of Hormuz 'American territory', says Iran will 'never' have nuclear weapon

President Donald Trump declared that Iran must never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon, stating, "We cannot let them have a nuclear weapon; we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon, or you will see some very bad things." He also asserted that the United States has "total control" over the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for global energy supplies, and controversially described it as "American territory."

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We cannot let them have a nuclear weapon; we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon, or you will see some very bad things.

Speaking at a rally in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Trump suggested Iran is eager for a deal but questioned whether Washington would accept one. "They want to make a deal so badly, we don't even know if we want [a deal] because I view the Strait of Hormuz as an American territory right now, it's an American territory," he said.

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They want to make a deal so badly, we don't even know if we want [a deal] because I view the Strait of Hormuz as an American territory right now, it's an American territory.

Earlier, Trump had told reporters that the U.S. had "total control" over the region linked to the Strait of Hormuz amid its blockade against Iran. He also shared an AI-generated image on his Truth Social platform depicting the waterway as "NEW U.S. Territory."

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We're just going to sort of see what happens, and we have total control, as you know, of the border; we have total control -- if you look at the blockade, we have total control of that entire region having to do with the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran rejected Trump's claims. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi stated that Trump's assertions would be "corrected" by circumstances or by Iran. Mohsen Rezaei, head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, criticized Trump's remarks, highlighting the "gap between America's inability to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and its claim to own it." He added, "Welcome to the post-American order in the Persian Gulf."

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So they would love to make a deal, but they're not ready to make the right deal in my opinion.