Trump Claims Strait of Hormuz as U.S. Territory; Iran Warns: “We’ll Correct His Delusions Soon”

U.S. President Donald Trump posted this afternoon (Tuesday, Israel time) on his social media platform, Truth Social, declaring the Strait of Hormuz to be “new American territory.” Trump’s announcement came three days after he threatened to annex the strait to the United States in an effort to tighten control over it.

Earlier this week, Trump said: “After we finish defeating Iran, which is already severely defeated at this point, I will declare the Strait of Hormuz to be U.S. territory.” He later addressed U.S. military activity in the region: “Thanks to our military, which, frankly, I used a little more than I wanted to, and given the effective blockade, no ship passes through the Strait of Hormuz unless we want it to.” The declaration did not prevent Iran from attacking two tankers that crossed the strait over the past day.

In Iran, officials responded to the post with a mocking message aimed at the American president. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi wrote: “Just as Trump correctly wrote the name of the eternal Persian Gulf, his delusion regarding the Strait of Hormuz will soon be corrected, or we will correct the delusions of this delusional man.”