Trump declares Strait of Hormuz as 'new US territory' day after MoU deadline expires

US President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he is declaring the Strait of Hormuz a new US territory. The declaration was made via a post on his Truth Social platform.

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I think it's an excellent idea. We control it through the blockade, and I like the idea of declaring it our territory.

Trump justified the move by highlighting the effectiveness of the US military's naval blockade, stating, "We control it through the blockade, and I like the idea of declaring it our territory." He added that the blockade has kept the strait open, leading to decreasing oil prices. "We're taking out millions of barrels of oil a week," he noted.

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We're taking out millions of barrels of oil a week. If you look at the numbers we're getting, the strait is open, oil prices are going down, and they'll continue to go down, unless we decide to do something much more drastic than what we're doing now.

When questioned about reaching an agreement with Iran, Trump expressed skepticism, saying, "Tehran wants to make a deal, but they're not going to make the kind of deal that I think is necessary." He reiterated his stance on Iran's nuclear ambitions, asserting, "They cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon." He also declined to answer reporters' questions about whether he was working to extend a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Iran, shaking his head no.

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Tehran wants to make a deal, but they're not going to make the kind of deal that I think is necessary.

Meanwhile, Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Dr. Majed al Ansari stated that mediators are awaiting a bilateral agreement between Oman and Iran on Hormuz before resuming broader talks with the US. An agreement on the strait, he added, would significantly ease the resumption of negotiations.

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They cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon. And right now, after what we did previously with the B-2 bombers, it will take them a long time to build one.