Iran: Strait of Hormuz will remain Iranian, rejecting Trump's joke

Iran on Saturday pushed back against U.S. President Donald Trump's assertion that he would soon declare the Strait of Hormuz part of U.S. territory, insisting the strategically vital energy waterway "will remain Iranian."

Diplomatic Exchange

Trump has repeatedly claimed that the strait—which Tehran effectively closed at the start of the Middle East war in late February—is under U.S. control, a statement the Islamic Republic denies.

"The Strait of Hormuz has been Iranian, is Iranian, and will remain Iranian," Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi wrote on X. "This strait will only be closed and opened under Iran's command."

Speaking at a political rally in New York state on Friday, Trump told supporters that after the U.S. defeats Iran, "pretty soon I'll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States." He added, "It's true."

An unnamed White House official later clarified that Trump was joking, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Conditions for Reopening

Last week, a top Iranian official outlined a series of conditions for reopening the strait, including:

• An end to "war and aggression against Iran and its allies in Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, and Iraq"
• The lifting of crippling sanctions
• The release of frozen assets
• Compensation for wartime damage

The demands were issued by Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr.

Ongoing Attacks and Regional Impact

As diplomatic efforts stall between the decades-long adversaries, attacks in the Strait of Hormuz have continued, underscoring persistent risks to regional shipping.

United Arab Emirates' state-owned oil giant ADNOC reported Saturday that one of its vessels came under attack the night before. On Friday, the Gulf nation blamed Iran for attacks on two other vessels linked to ADNOC as they passed through the strait.

Such attacks led to the collapse of an April ceasefire between the United States and Iran.

Meanwhile, Iran's Houthi allies in Yemen have declared a parallel maritime blockade on Saudi ports in the Red Sea—the oil-exporting giant's only other maritime route.

Broader Context

A June deal between Washington and Tehran, intended as a starting point for negotiations on a permanent settlement, had stated that Iran and Oman would negotiate future arrangements for the strait in consultation with other Gulf countries and "in line with the applicable international law."

Before the war, the Strait of Hormuz carried approximately one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports. Prices have repeatedly surged since the dispute over the waterway erupted, piling economic and political pressure on Washington.

Iran seeks to control the strait and charge tolls—powers it did not exercise before the war and a development the U.S. would strongly oppose.

Domestic Political Pressure

The closure of Hormuz has driven up prices for American voters, creating a political challenge for Trump as November's midterm elections approach.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said this week that Washington's top priority in the Iran war is keeping energy prices low for Americans, with preventing Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon ranking second.

Recent Developments

Tehran signaled last week that it had agreed with Oman on a route for ships to transit the strait and was finalizing arrangements to jointly manage the waterway.

The U.S. has imposed its own retaliatory blockade of Iranian ports in an attempt to cripple its economy.

"We have the blockade. No ships get through unless we want them to," Trump told a cheering crowd of supporters on Friday.