Donald Trump has shared a graphic on his Truth Social platform depicting a map of Iran, labeling the Strait of Hormuz as a 'new US territory'. The image, which appears hastily made, marks the Persian Gulf, Iran, and the Gulf of Oman, with a red, white, and blue star-spangled design over the Strait of Hormuz bearing the text 'NEW U.S. Territory'.
Iran responds to the map
Iran has responded to the attempted renaming. Deputy Foreign Ministry Gharibabadi stated: 'Just as Trump spelt the name of the Persian Gulf correctly, his illusion about the Strait of Hormuz will soon be corrected.'
The 60-day ceasefire between the US and Iran ends today. Over the weekend, the Iranian military announced a reward of $30,000 for anyone who kills or kidnaps US soldiers in the region, with $60,000 offered if a woman does so. This comes despite no ground deployments of US soldiers in Iran, only continued air strikes.
War continues into fifth month
As the conflict enters its fifth month, prospects for peace appear increasingly unlikely. Trump has escalated threats this week, warning he would bomb another country if it became involved in the war.
In an interview with Fox News' Trey Yingst, Trump said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had established a back channel with his administration to continue peace talks. He added: 'They're good poker players, but they're dying. I have no time schedule. I'm not in a hurry.'
Trump also commented on Oman, which has been involved in negotiations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, telling reporters: 'If Oman gets in the way, we'll bomb the s*** out of them.'
