Iran has firmly rejected statements made by US President Donald Trump regarding the Strait of Hormuz, asserting that the crucial energy waterway "will remain Iranian" and under its command.
Trump had reportedly told a political rally in New York state on Friday that after the US defeats Iran, he would "pretty soon… be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States." However, an unnamed White House official later clarified that Trump was joking, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi responded on X, stating, "The Strait of Hormuz has been Iranian, is Iranian, and will remain Iranian. This strait will only be closed and opened under Iran's command."
The exchange comes amid ongoing tensions and risks to regional shipping. Last week, senior Iranian official Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr outlined conditions for reopening the strait, demanding an end to "war and aggression against Iran and its allies in Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, and Iraq," along with the lifting of sanctions and wartime compensation.
The Strait of Hormuz, which Iran effectively closed at the start of the Middle East war in late February, has seen continued attacks, impacting shipping. The United Arab Emirates' state-owned oil giant ADNOC reported that one of its vessels came under attack on Friday night, with Abu Dhabi later blaming Tehran's Revolutionary Guards for "acts of piracy." On the preceding Friday, the UAE had accused Iran of separate attacks on two ADNOC-linked vessels.
These incidents contributed to the collapse of an April ceasefire between Washington and Tehran. A framework agreed upon in June stated that Iran and Oman would negotiate future arrangements for the strait in accordance with international law. Before the recent conflicts, the waterway was responsible for approximately one-fifth of global oil and LNG exports. US Vice President JD Vance has noted that maintaining low domestic energy prices remains Washington's top priority.
