By Ayodele Quadri, Lagos Times Correspondent
TEHRAN, IRAN — Iranian officials have strongly dismissed statements made by U.S. President Donald Trump suggesting that the United States would declare the Strait of Hormuz a U.S. territory following the conclusion of military operations against Iran.
Speaking at a political rally in Garden City, New York, President Trump declared that after “defeating Iran,” he planned to annex or designate the strategic shipping corridor as a territory of the United States. The statements triggered an immediate reaction from Tehran, with senior diplomats rejecting the assertion as an unrealistic display of political rhetoric.
Key Statements & Official Responses
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Rejection by Iranian Leadership: Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, stated on X (formerly Twitter) that the Strait of Hormuz “has been Iranian, is Iranian, and will remain Iranian”. He added that control over the waterway “cannot be seized by tweet, nor by aircraft carrier, nor by issuing an order, nor by an election speech.”
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Control of Maritime Passage: The Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) issued a concurrent statement affirming that the shipping corridor remains restricted and that transit rules will only be updated under Iranian authorization once operational conditions are settled.
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Regional Bilateral Talks: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi noted that technical discussions with Oman regarding maritime safety, designated shipping lanes, and vessel movement through the shared waterway remain ongoing, independent of broad diplomatic exchanges with Washington.
