'Fantasies': Iran Hits Back At President Trump's Hormuz Takeover Threat, Vows To Retain Control
New York: President Donald Trump has declared that the US will be taking over as its territory the Hormuz Strait, a key artery for petroleum and gas where his country's almost half-year-long war with Iran has staunched global supplies. "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," he said on…
President Donald Trump has asserted that the US will take control of the Hormuz Strait, a crucial trade route for oil and gas, following a prolonged war with Iran. This claim, made on Friday, is Trump's third territorial assertion, following his previous claims on the Strait of Malacca and the Suez Canal. The US has allegedly blocked Iranian ships from passing through the Strait, with only nine vessels reported to have transited through on Friday.
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, dismissed Trump's claims as "fantasies," stating that the strait's control will remain under Iran's command. The US has been imposing a blockade on Iran, with the average petrol price in the US increasing due to the ongoing Iran war. Trump has stated that this price hike is necessary to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
However, the practicality of incorporating the Strait into the US is doubtful due to the territorial waters involved and the need for agreements with Oman and the UAE. Additionally, the US's military presence in the region, currently led by the USS Abraham Lincoln, is under strain from an extended deployment.
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