Trump says Strait of Hormuz will soon become US territory

US President Donald Trump has stated that he will soon declare the Strait of Hormuz a US territory, after defeating Iran. According to Trump, this will happen "pretty soon" following Iran's defeat, which he claims is imminent.

The Strait of Hormuz is a vital shipping lane that carries a significant share of global oil supplies. Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi responded to Trump's comments, saying that Tehran would not be intimidated by threats or a show of force by Washington. Gharibabadi stated that the strategic waterway would only be opened or closed under Iran's authority, according to Middle East Eye.

The US and Iran have been engaged in a conflict for over five months, with the US launching the war on February 28. The conflict has resulted in disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, leading to high energy prices. The US has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports in the Hormuz strait, and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has announced that the US will apply measures against Iran that have "never been seen" as soon as next week, as reported by ABC News AU.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch Nigeria, Middle East Eye, DW News, ABC News AU, Yonhap News — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.