Iran Tensions Rise as Trump Labels Strait of Hormuz New US Territory

President Donald Trump posted a map on Truth Social labeling the Strait of Hormuz as 'new US territory' amid ongoing Iran tensions, prompting sharp rebukes from Iranian officials and coinciding with restricted shipping traffic through the waterway.

Trump Posts Map Claiming Strait of Hormuz

President Donald Trump on Tuesday posted an image on his Truth Social platform showing a map of the Strait of Hormuz circled and captioned “NEW U.S. Territory,” above a band in the colours of the American flag. [3] The post carried no accompanying text. [3] The circle drawn on the image also takes in a portion of mainland Iranian territory on the northern shore of the waterway, which separates the Persian Gulf from the Gulf of Oman. [3] Trump had trailed the idea on Friday at an event in Long Island, New York state, where he said, “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.” [3] He added, “We have the blockade — no ships get through unless we want them to.” [3] Hours later, the president posted a second message: “There are no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled, with the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Naval Blockade remains in full force and effect. The Hormuz Strait is open and operating. All water mines have been removed or detonated.” [3] Trump doubled down on his push to take control of the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, posting a map on Truth Social labeling the waterway as "new US territory." [4]

Iranian Officials Reject US Claim

Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, responded in Arabic on X that “Just as Trump correctly wrote the name of the Persian Gulf, his illusion about the Strait of Hormuz will soon be corrected – or we will correct the delusions of this delusional individual.” [1] Gharibabadi included a screengrab of Trump’s post. [1] He also wrote, “The Strait of Hormuz cannot be seized by tweet, nor by aircraft carrier, nor by issuing an order, nor by an election speech.” [3] Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that the strait will stay closed until the US blockade and oil embargo are lifted, and warned that any party continuing its “aggression or threats” would face a “more severe defeat.” [1] Other Iranian officials dismissed the claim as nonsense. [3] Iranian Maj. Gen. Mostafa Izadi, deputy commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said Tuesday that “the enemy failed to destroy Iran’s defensive capabilities and nuclear industries.” [1]

Restricted Shipping and Rising Fuel Prices

Since Trump and Israel began bombing Iran on February 28, Iran has restricted traffic through the strait, a key shipping route, particularly for fossil fuels. [1] That has driven up fuel prices worldwide, including in the United States, where the cost for a gallon of gasoline just hit a record high for mid-August. [1] Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz dropped significantly last week, with confirmed crossings falling 19.5% to 95 transits. [2] Only three vessels made it through the waterway on Sunday, according to shipping data platform Kpler. [2] The ships used the Iranian-designated route through the strait, with no crossings recorded through the Omani routes. [2] Crossings through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait increased 6.7% to 254 transits, while so-called dark transits, in which ships turn off the transponders that broadcast their location, fell from 40 to 16, Kpler said. [2] Before the conflict, around a fifth of the world's oil passed through the route. [3] Commercial traffic remains far below levels seen before the conflict, which began on February 28. [3]

Expired Ceasefire and Stalled Talks

By Monday, a 60-day ceasefire deal expired, and neither side has signaled any progress on talks to end the war. [1] The 60-day negotiating period ended this week between the US and Iran with no clear end to the war in sight. [2] Trump claims the war is aimed at stopping Iran from building nuclear weapons, even though his own intelligence agencies have said it wasn’t trying to do so. [1] Trump notably ditched the Obama administration’s Iran nuclear deal during his first term. [1] Trump said on social media Tuesday that the US blockade of Iranian ports remains “in full force and effect,” but asserted that all water mines have been removed and that other marine traffic was free to pass. [2] US President Donald Trump said Tuesday the US has no talks planned with Iran but insisted the Strait of Hormuz remains “open and operating,” despite limited traffic. [2]

Incident Involving Merchant Vessel

On the same day, a merchant vessel was struck by an unidentified projectile in Omani waters of the strait as it was leaving the Persian Gulf, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency. [3] Its engine room was damaged and “resulted in a crew casualty," according to the British military’s UK Maritime Trade Operations center. [2] The maritime monitoring agency did not release any details about the ship or its cargo, and it was not clear whether the crew member was killed or wounded. [2] No environmental damage has been reported and the agency said the Omani Coast Guard was assisting other crew members and authorities were investigating. [2]

Broader Regional Fallout

As Oman and Iran say they are nearing a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the Trump administration has told Oman it opposes parts of the yet-to-be-announced deal, according to officials briefed on the US position. [2] Those include joint Iranian and Omani management of the passage's exit route and the collection of voluntary fees from vessels, even if the money is used for security and maritime environmental protection. [2] The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that the Iranian-Omani deal could pave the way for Washington and Tehran to return to negotiations for a “comprehensive and permanent deal that addresses all concerns and enhances regional security and stability.” [2] Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed they fired drones at an oil refinery in neighboring Saudi Arabia, the latest attack threatening to reignite Yemen’s civil war and open another front in the Middle East. [2] The defense ministry of the United Arab Emirates said two ballistic missiles were launched from Iran toward the UAE on Tuesday. [2] One landed outside of the country’s waters, and the other landed within them, the Emirati Defense Ministry said. [2] Iran early Wednesday rejected the UAE’s claims that it launched missiles toward the country. [2] In a post on social media, the spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Esmail Baghaei, said Dubai’s accusations were “detrimental to ongoing efforts to strengthen trust among the countries of the region and prevent a further deterioration of security.” [2]

What to watch next: Talks between Iran and Oman continue amid the US position on any deal, while ship traffic through the strait stays far below pre-conflict levels and the Omani Coast Guard assists after the reported projectile strike.