Iran stated on Saturday that Trump should stop fantasizing about Hormuz. The Strait of Hormuz “belonged to Iran, belongs to Iran, and will remain Iran’s.” This statement from Iran followed a claim by President Donald Trump that the US would “soon declare the Strait of Hormuz as US territory.” Subsequently, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi emphasized that the Strait of Hormuz would only be closed or opened at Iran’s command.
Iran’s warning to Trump
In a post on X, he stated, “Trump has said that after Iran’s defeat, he will soon declare Hormuz as US territory. Hormuz cannot be seized through tweets, aircraft carriers, executive orders, or election speeches.”
He added, “Accept the truth once and for all: you have faced strategic and crushing defeats so far… Until you accept the reality of your defeat and abandon your delusional misconceptions, Iran will continue its blockade.”
What Trump had said
During a political rally at a police academy in New York, Trump jokingly remarked, “After completely defeating Iran—which is suffering a crushing defeat—I will soon declare the Strait of Hormuz as United States territory, and that is a fact. Paying a little extra for gasoline is a fair price to ensure that a ‘very bad country’ does not possess nuclear weapons.” However, an unnamed White House official later clarified that Trump was joking.
Trump wrote on Truth Social
On Wednesday, Donald Trump claimed in a Truth Social post that the US has “total control over the Strait of Hormuz.” “I think we will keep this under our control,” he added. “Everyone is calling our naval blockade a ‘Wall of Steel,’ and Iran can do nothing about it.”
Iran Responds to Trump
Ibrahim Zolfaghari, spokesperson for Iran’s central military command, ‘Khatam-al-Anbiya,’ stated in a video aired on state television: “America’s false claims that ships are passing through the Strait of Hormuz as usual… are nothing but lies and fabrications. Just as before, Hormuz remains under the complete management and control of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Without the approval and oversight of Iran’s powerful military, safe passage through this strait was—and will continue to be—impossible for any commercial vessel or tanker.”
Senior Iranian diplomat Abbas Araghchi also remarked that the US has consistently misjudged the situation regarding this maritime route. He stated on X, “Due to intelligence failures, the US has long been making incorrect assessments.”
