Donald Trump has stunned the world by saying he will soon declare the Strait of Hormuz “a territory of the United States.” The statement came during a visit to a police training centre, where he spoke amid a war of words with Iran over control of the major supply route.
Trump's declaration
Speaking to cheering police officers, Trump 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.” He added: “Essentially that's what it is. We have the blockade. No ships get through it unless we want them to.”
Trump also said he has used the military “a little bit more than I wanted to” but argued pressure on Tehran is necessary to prevent the Iranian regime from obtaining a nuclear weapon. He added: “We cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon.”
US claims of control
Earlier on Friday, he told Fox News the US is in “firm control” of the waterway and boasted of a “wall of steel” blockade as he warned Iran against further attacks. He said: “We totally control, we own, in the true sense, we own the Strait of Hormuz. We only allow boats to come in if we want them to come in.”
The US president claimed the blockade is costing Tehran “hundreds of millions of dollars every single day” and said sweeping sanctions are also squeezing the regime. He said: “If they hit, we would hit back 100 times harder. They cannot have nuclear weapons. It’s very simple. We have a blockade that is like a wall of steel. Nobody’s ever seen anything like it.”
Impact on shipping
His remarks come amid an escalating row between the two countries over who is in control of the strait, with tensions high more than five months since the start of the war. Figures show the number of ships passing was shockingly low.
A United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) voluntary reporting area overview noted: “Traffic remains well below normal levels, with AIS-detected transits approximately 90% below pre-conflict baselines and declining since the 24-26 Jun peak.”
Canada announced sanctions on Friday against five senior Iranian officials it accused of helping obstruct navigation rights in and around the Strait of Hormuz and undermining international peace and security. The Canadian government said those targeted were involved in military, legal and communications activities connected to threats against the strategic waterway.
