US President Donald Trump has again posted a map depicting the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz as “new US territory”, escalating an already tense confrontation with Iran.
Trump shared the image on his Truth Social platform on Sunday, repeating a claim he first raised earlier this month.
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President Trump first raised the prospect of claiming the strait as US territory during an August 15 New York rally. He asserted that after "defeating Iran," he planned to officially declare the Strait of Hormuz a territory of the United States.
Trump had previously posted the same image on August 18 and, days earlier, suggested that the United States could declare the waterway a US territory after defeating Iran. He has also claimed that Washington has “total control” of the strait, while Tehran maintains that it controls passage through the waterway and requires vessels to obtain permission and pay transit fees.
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical global energy chokepoint, with around one-fifth of the world's oil and LNG exports passing through it before the conflict. Iran has maintained that the waterway remains closed amid the ongoing US-Iran confrontation, while Washington has asserted that the strait is open and that its naval blockade remains in force.
The dispute has also intensified on the economic front, with Washington increasing pressure on Tehran and urging other countries to join efforts to isolate Iran's economy. Iranian officials have warned nations against participating in the US campaign, saying countries that impose economic restrictions on Iran could be treated as enemies.
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Iran has linked the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to US concessions and fulfilment of its commitments. The competing claims over the waterway, combined with military and economic pressure, have made the strait a major flashpoint in the broader US-Iran conflict.
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