Trump: We Will Make the Strait of Hormuz American Territory; A Claim That Escalates Tensions with the Islamic Republic to a New Level

Donald Trump, the U.S. President, has once again raised the idea of declaring the Strait of Hormuz as “U.S. territory,” claiming that Washington now has “complete control” of this waterway; statements that, amid the stalled negotiations with the Islamic Republic, a severe decline in ship traffic, and growing concerns about the future of one of the world’s most vital energy routes, have brought tensions between Tehran and Washington to a new phase.

Donald Trump, on Monday, August 17, in a conversation with journalists at the White House, once again defended the idea of declaring the Strait of Hormuz as American territory. He described this idea as “great” and said that Washington currently has effective control of the waterway.

Trump said on this matter: “We control it now. We control it with a naval blockade and I like the idea of declaring it American territory.” He further emphasized: “We have complete control over the Strait of Hormuz.”

These remarks came one day after the expiration of a 60-day understanding between the U.S. and the Islamic Republic; an agreement that was supposed to pave the way for broader negotiations to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but ended without reaching a final agreement.

Trump also said he does not intend to extend the framework of the agreement with the Islamic Republic and once again called on Tehran to accept conditions favorable to Washington.

In explaining his claim about controlling the Strait of Hormuz, Trump referred to U.S. naval operations against the Islamic Republic.

He said the Islamic Republic can still create problems, including laying mines in the waterway, an action that he said could be very dangerous for merchant vessels.

Trump said on this matter: “No one wants their billion-dollar ship damaged by hitting a mine.” He also emphasized: “The naval blockade has been completely effective.”

The U.S. President also claimed that millions of barrels of oil are currently passing through the Strait of Hormuz and said that if the situation changes, there would be an opportunity for more oil to pass through this waterway.

Trump added: “If you look at the statistics and figures, you will see that the Strait of Hormuz is open and the price of oil is declining and this decline will continue; unless we decide to do something much more severe than what we are doing.”

However, this picture differs from some independent data about the shipping situation in the Strait of Hormuz. The Wall Street Journal reported that despite Trump’s claims about “complete control” of the strait, the number of ships passing through the waterway has declined sharply. According to ship tracking data, on one recent day, only 14 vessels passed through the strait; whereas before the war this figure was more than 130 ships per day.

The newspaper also reported that many ships continue to choose routes that remain subject to the capabilities and threats of the Islamic Republic, and the presence of the U.S. Navy alone does not mean complete control of traffic through the waterway.

In another part of his remarks, Trump once again targeted the economic and military conditions of the Islamic Republic. He said on this matter: “The Islamic Republic is in big trouble.” Trump also claimed that the Islamic Republic faces 300 percent inflation and added: “Their country is falling apart, their army is completely defeated and the Iranian regime is in big trouble.”

In recent days, the U.S. President has repeatedly tried to present economic and military pressure against the Islamic Republic as a sign of Tehran’s weakness; while negotiations to end the war and establish a mechanism for reopening the Strait of Hormuz have yet to reach a conclusion.

Trump’s idea about the Strait of Hormuz was not raised for the first time in recent days. On Friday, August 14, in New York, he said that after the defeat of the Islamic Republic, he intends to soon declare the Strait of Hormuz as “U.S. territory.”

In that speech, Trump had said: “Essentially it is. We have a naval blockade and no vessel can pass without our permission.”

But just a few hours later, a senior White House official told a Wall Street Journal reporter that Trump had not held a meeting with his advisers before raising this issue and was “joking” when making this statement. However, the repetition of this idea at the White House on August 17 suggests that the matter has gone beyond a single isolated comment, at least at the level of public statements by the U.S. President.

This is while Trump had previously also used the term “Trump Strait.” In one of his speeches, he said the Islamic Republic should open the “Trump Strait” route and then explained that he meant the Strait of Hormuz.

He had said at that point: “First I said ‘Trump Strait,’ I meant the Strait of Hormuz. Sorry, that was a terrible mistake. Fake news will say I said this accidentally; nothing about me is accidental.”

The claim of converting the Strait of Hormuz into American territory is fundamentally different from claims of military presence or control in terms of international law. The Strait of Hormuz lies between Iran and Oman, and its territorial waters are under the sovereignty and jurisdiction of the coastal states.

According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the sovereignty of a coastal state extends to its territorial waters up to a ceiling of 12 nautical miles. Furthermore, with respect to straits used for international navigation, this convention stipulates that it does not change the legal status of the waters and the sovereignty of coastal states.

Therefore, mere military presence or the imposition of a naval blockade cannot in itself create U.S. ownership or sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz. This difference between operational control and territorial sovereignty is one of the most important legal aspects of Trump’s recent statements.

The significance of this dispute is not limited to Iran and the United States. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most vital energy passages. According to the latest data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, in the first half of 2025, an average of approximately 20.9 million barrels of oil per day passed through this strait, equivalent to approximately 20 percent of global petroleum liquid consumption and nearly one-quarter of oil traded by sea. For this reason, any prolonged disruption in ship traffic could have implications beyond the region; ranging from energy prices and transportation costs to inflation and energy security in various countries.

In recent days, oil markets have also reacted to escalating tensions between Tehran and Washington. The Wall Street Journal reported that on August 17, Brent crude oil prices rose approximately 2.7 percent to $90.87 per barrel; while West Texas Intermediate oil also grew 2.5 percent.

In response, officials of the Islamic Republic have rejected the U.S. claims about the Strait of Hormuz. Kazem Gharibabadi, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic, in response to Trump’s remarks, said: “The Strait of Hormuz has been Iranian, is Iranian, and will remain Iranian.”

This position indicates that Tehran views any attempt by Washington to impose control or change the legal status of the waterway as a direct threat to its sovereignty. Meanwhile, the Islamic Republic and Oman have discussed a mechanism for managing commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz; a measure that could help restore some commercial shipping, but Washington opposes any arrangement that would consolidate Iran’s effective control over ship traffic.

Trump’s latest remarks came at a time when the 60-day understanding between the U.S. and the Islamic Republic has expired and no agreement has been reached to end the war and fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

On the other hand, Trump’s threat against Oman in case it obstructs U.S. policy toward the Islamic Republic has even drawn one of Washington’s allies in the region into the scope of the crisis. In an interview with Fox News, Trump warned that if Oman stands in the way of U.S. policy, Washington will take military action against this country.

This threat came at a time when Oman has been one of the most important mediators between Tehran and Washington. As a result, the Strait of Hormuz is now not only a vital route for oil transfer, but has become one of the main points of military, economic, and diplomatic confrontation between the Islamic Republic and the Trump administration.

Trump says the U.S. has “complete control” of the Strait of Hormuz and even speaks of turning it into American territory. But the ground reality is more complicated.

The presence of the U.S. Navy has enhanced Washington’s ability to escort ships, impose blockades, and threaten the shipping routes of the Islamic Republic; however, the sharp decline in the number of passing vessels shows that the strait has not yet returned to a normal and secure international passage.

On the other hand, international law also makes a clear distinction between the exercise of military power and territorial ownership. Therefore, Trump’s statements can be seen as above all, part of Washington’s maximum pressure campaign against the Islamic Republic; a pressure that has now turned one of the world’s most important waterways into the center of a geopolitical confrontation.

In the meantime, the longer the crisis lasts, its cost will not be borne only by Tehran and Washington; but the energy market, global trade, and countries dependent on oil and gas in the region will increasingly face its consequences.