Trump Says He Will Declare Strait of Hormuz US Territory After Defeating Iran
Trump Announces Plan for US Control of Strait of Hormuz
President Donald Trump stated Friday during a political rally at a police academy in New York state that after defeating Iran he would declare the Strait of Hormuz a US territory. [4] 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,” and added “It’s true.” [4] Trump made the remarks with a chuckle to the crowd of supporters and police. [4]
Context of Ongoing US-Iran Conflict and Blockade
Trump together with Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28. [4] Iran responded by establishing de facto control over much of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital passageway for large amounts of global energy and other commodity shipping. [4] The United States remains locked in a stalemate with Iran over the strait, with Iran denying access to much of the civilian shipping and the US Navy mounting a blockade of Iranian ports. [4] Iran has blockaded much of the strait for the past five months in response to the war, driving up global fuel prices. [3]
Trump Defends Higher Gasoline Prices
Trump admitted that gasoline prices have soared due to the conflict. [3] He told a Long Island crowd, “We’re bringing the prices way down,” but later acknowledged the increases. [3] He stated, “For you to pay a tiny little bit more for your gasoline, just remember, you’re doing it so that a very evil country cannot have a – a country, really it’s the No. 1 state sponsor of terror in the world – we don’t want to have them have a nuclear weapon. So, remember that when you have to pay a little bit more, you’re at $4, it’s OK. I’ll never apologize. I did the right thing.” [3]
Ceasefire Expiration and Diplomatic Outlook
A monthlong ceasefire between the US and Iran is set to expire on Monday. [3] A senior White House official told Politico that the situation is “static” and that no mention has been made of a potential extension. [3] The official added, “It doesn’t matter how close or how far we are. What matters is if Iran wants to come to the table and agree to a deal. Right now, they haven’t done that.” [3] The Trump administration appears to be reaching out to a broader swath of countries that might help pressure Tehran. [3] Ali Vaez, Iran project director at the International Crisis Group, told the Associated Press that “everyone is just urging both sides to stop this reckless game of chicken.” [3]
Reactions to Trump’s Remarks
Critics responded to clips of the comments on X by mocking Trump. [3] Representative Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) quipped, “Awesome! And the Easter Bunny is real.” [3] Ryan Costello, policy director at the National Iranian American Council, said that “this jingoism rings a bit hollow when most of the US bases near the strait have been essentially abandoned due to danger from Iranian missiles and drones.” [3] Progressive political commentator Kyle Kulinski declared that “he absolutely needs to be impeached, removed, and locked up. He’s a completely unhinged lunatic, and he’s a sadistic violent menace to the world.” [3]
China Concerned Over Trump Administration Disarray
Chinese officials are unsettled by disorganization in the Trump administration ahead of Xi Jinping’s state visit to Washington in less than six weeks. [1] Beijing finds itself increasingly unsettled by the chaos within the Trump administration, with little progress made on hammering out deliverables for the leaders’ summit. [1] Sources told the South China Morning Post that Chinese officials were confronting a disorganised Trump administration that lacked planning and coordination. [1] One person with knowledge of the preparations said that no US official or agency had thus far assumed responsibility for organising the visit, leaving officials on both sides largely engaged in routine preparations without clear leadership. [1] The State Department has so far remained largely uninvolved. [1]
What to watch next: The monthlong ceasefire expires Monday with no indication of extension, while Chinese officials continue to watch for any US leadership on planning Xi Jinping’s upcoming state visit.
