US President Donald Trump on Monday said the United States would take over the Strait of Hormuz and be compensated for securing the vital maritime chokepoint, marking one of his strongest comments yet on Washington's potential role in safeguarding global energy trade amid heightened tensions with Iran.
Speaking in an interview with Fox News, Trump said the US would probably run the Strait of Hormuz and become its guardian, arguing that Washington should be reimbursed for protecting one of the world's most strategically important shipping lanes.
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"We're taking over the Strait of Hormuz," Trump said. "We'll probably run the Strait. We're going to get paid for guarding it. If we run Hormuz, the US will be reimbursed."
The remarks come as tensions between Washington and Tehran continue to escalate following the latest US military strikes on Iranian targets.
Trump claimed Iran was in a significantly weakened position after the attacks. "Iran has nothing," he said, adding that the country "didn't get anything from me" and had "no chance" of rebuilding its military capabilities.
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Despite his criticism of Tehran, Trump acknowledged the negotiating skills of the Iranian leadership, describing them as "professional negotiators." However, he maintained that Iran had failed to secure any concessions from his administration.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world's most critical energy chokepoints, with roughly a fifth of global oil consumption passing through the narrow waterway linking the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman. Any disruption to shipping through the strait has the potential to rattle global energy markets and drive crude oil prices sharply higher.
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