Donald Trump described the strategic Strait of Hormuz as “American territory” during a campaign event in South Carolina, where he was supporting Senator Darline Graham’s bid for a permanent Senate seat.
Speaking to supporters, Trump stated, “We don’t even know if we won, because I view the strait of Hormuz as an American territory right now.” This statement comes as the ongoing conflict between the US and Iran approaches its sixth month, with American forces maintaining a military blockade of Iranian shipping and ports.
Trump also made light of further military action against Iran, saying, “It’s a Friday night. We have plenty of time,” before reciting his frequently used anti-immigrant poem “The Snake.” He concluded, “What the hell do I have to do? Go back and bomb Iran a little bit more?”
According to the US Central Command (Centcom), American forces have redirected 68 commercial vessels to comply with the blockade as of Friday.
The economic pressure continues to mount as the Trump administration seeks to financially constrict Iran by restricting access to the strait – a critical maritime route through which approximately one-fifth of the world’s seaborne oil supply typically passes.
Trump’s declaration follows similar rhetoric last week when he threatened to formally designate the strait as US territory, stating at a New York police academy event, “Essentially, that’s what it is. We have the blockade. No ships get through unless we want them to.”
The former president also shared a map on social media labeling the waterway as a “new U.S. territory,” a claim that Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, dismissed as “delusions.”