Trump to Declare Strait of Hormuz US Territory 'Soon'

President Donald Trump declared on Friday that he would "soon" designate the Strait of Hormuz as a U.S. territory, following what he described as Iran's "very badly defeated" state. The announcement came during a rally in Garden City, New York.

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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's statement, "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," was met with uncertainty regarding its seriousness or if it signaled a new policy shift. Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, rejected the assertion, stating that Iran would "not be intimidated" and the strategic waterway would remain under its authority.

The conflict between the U.S. and Iran, which began on February 28 with the stated aims of ending Iran's nuclear program and forcing regime change, has resulted in a prolonged stalemate over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's response included targeting U.S. allies with strikes and blockading the strait, through which a significant portion of global oil and LNG shipments pass. The U.S. retaliated with its own naval blockade of Iranian ships.

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It's true.

This ongoing conflict has driven up energy prices, with rising oil and gas costs expected to be a major issue in the upcoming November midterm elections. Trump urged Americans to accept slightly higher gasoline prices as a necessary cost for preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, framing the U.S. actions as a "great service for the world."

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Iran's response has been to target US allies across the Middle East with drone and missile strikes, as well as to impose a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments passed before the war.

During the rally, Trump also addressed concerns about the living conditions of service members aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, deployed in the Middle East. He dismissed reports of difficult conditions and deteriorating mental health, insisting the deployment was "not nearly enough" and confirming the ship would be replaced.

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The US responded to Iran's closure of the strait with its own naval blockade of Iranian ships and ports.