Diplomacy & Geopolitics
Strait of Hormuz: Trump posts US territory map
US President Donald Trump posted a map on Truth Social on Tuesday showing the Strait of Hormuz as “NEW U.S. Territory”, renewing his threat to claim sovereignty over the vital waterway.
Trump first raised the idea on Friday, saying he would soon declare the strait to be US territory. The Wall Street Journal later reported that an unnamed White House official said Trump had been joking.
Trump returned to the idea on Monday in comments to reporters in the Oval Office, suggesting that a US takeover of the strait would be a good idea.
Iran has rejected the claim. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said earlier that the Strait of Hormuz “has been Iranian, is Iranian, and will remain Iranian.”
The strait is a major global energy route. The source material says about a fifth of the world's oil transits the waterway.
Iran has effectively shut down the chokepoint during the war involving the United States, Israel and Iran that began in late February. Tehran says it will not reopen the strait until the United States meets demands including ending its blockade of Iranian ports, lifting oil sanctions, freeing frozen Iranian assets and paying war damages.
Since returning to power in 2025, Trump has also threatened to make Canada the 51st US state, seize Greenland and take control of the Gaza Strip, without following through on those threats.
Update
Trump posted a map on Truth Social showing the Strait of Hormuz as “NEW U.S. Territory”.
The post followed Trump's Monday comments to reporters suggesting a US takeover would be a good idea.
Iran says it will not reopen the strait until the United States meets demands including ending a blockade, lifting oil sanctions, freeing frozen assets and paying war damages.
Source note: AFP news report published on 18 August 2026 at 13:44:22 UTC.
Update
The Wall Street Journal reported that an unnamed White House official said Trump was joking about declaring the Strait of Hormuz US territory.
Trump made the remarks during a political rally at a police academy in New York state.
Trump also told supporters that the United States had a blockade and that no ships got through unless the United States wanted them to.
Source note: AFP news report published on 15 August 2026 at 03:06:48 UTC.
Update
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi made the statement on X.
Gharibabadi said the Strait of Hormuz would be opened and closed only at Iran's command.
Source note: AFP news report published on 15 August 2026 at 01:55:51 UTC.
Update
An Iranian deputy foreign minister said the Strait of Hormuz “will remain Iranian”.
Source note: AFP news report published on 15 August 2026 at 01:44:19 UTC.
Update
Donald Trump said Friday he would soon declare the Strait of Hormuz part of US territory.
Trump made the remark at a political rally at a police academy in New York state.
Trump also claimed that Iran was being defeated.
Source note: AFP news report published on 14 August 2026 at 20:05:31 UTC.
Update
Iran's Khatam-al Anbiya central military command spokesperson Ebrahim Zolfaghari rejected Trump's Hormuz claim as lies on state television.
Zolfaghari said no commercial ship or tanker could safely pass through the strait without Iranian armed forces' permission and supervision.
The item says vessels have been required to obtain permission and pay transit fees since the Middle East war began on February 28.
Source note: AFP news report published on 13 August 2026 at 12:54:18 UTC.
Update
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the United States was making a bigger miscalculation over the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian parliamentarian Behnam Saeedi said the strait is closed to US and Israeli ships.
Iran and Oman have been in talks on a new route through the strait, but negotiations have not been finalised.
Source note: AFP news report published on 13 August 2026 at 10:48:44 UTC.
Update
Hossein Taeb, head of the Basij forces affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, said the Strait of Hormuz remains under Iran’s management and control.
Iranian state television carried Taeb’s statement.
Source note: AFP news report published on 13 August 2026 at 10:17:16 UTC.
Update
Iran said it manages the Strait of Hormuz after Donald Trump claimed the United States controls it.
Source note: AFP news report published on 13 August 2026 at 10:02:40 UTC.
Update
Trump wrote that the United States has "total control" over the Strait of Hormuz and said, "I THINK WE WILL KEEP IT!"
Trump described a US naval blockade as being called "A WALL OF STEEL."
Trump told reporters late Tuesday that the United States had total control of the strait and said, "We own it."
Iran says it effectively controls much of the waterway and intends to impose a toll system in response to the US war.
The item says Trump has backed off threats to escalate the war and is prepared to focus on blockading Iranian ports.
Source note: AFP news report published on 12 August 2026 at 15:09:04 UTC.
Update
US President Donald Trump said the United States will "keep" the Strait of Hormuz.
Source note: AFP news report published on 12 August 2026 at 14:43:06 UTC.
Update
Iran's Supreme National Security Council reportedly listed conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, including ending the war on all fronts, lifting sanctions, releasing frozen assets and compensation for wartime damage.
The UAE said at least one tanker was struck on Saturday amid attacks in the Strait of Hormuz.
Oman said negotiations on navigation arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz were proceeding and warned against actions that could jeopardise progress.
The Houthis declared a parallel maritime blockade on Saudi ports in the Red Sea and said they struck a Saudi oil facility on the Red Sea coast.
A medical source in government-held Mokha said three civilians and eight military personnel were killed and 32 people were wounded on Sunday, with civilian casualties from Houthi strikes on the port.
Saudi Arabia signed a joint defence agreement with Turkey and Pakistan on Friday, and Turkey's foreign minister said he expected Egypt to join.
Source note: AFP news report published on 9 August 2026 at 19:02:58 UTC.
Update
Donald Trump told Axios the United States was “low-keying it” with Iran.
Trump signaled he was prepared to let economic pressure mount against Iran rather than ordering more military strikes.
Axios said Trump did not express frustration over Iran delaying an agreement to open the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump said the United States was “only semi-negotiating” with Iran and was watching its inflation and finances.
Trump said oil prices were falling and that US consumers were feeling less pain from the war.
Source note: AFP news report published on 9 August 2026 at 17:59:03 UTC.
Update
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denied that Iran was negotiating with the United States and said the sides were exchanging messages through intermediaries.
The Houthis announced that they had struck a Saudi oil facility on the Red Sea coast, after Saudi Arabia said it had extinguished a fire at the site.
A medical source in government-held Mokha said three civilians and eight military personnel were killed and 32 people were wounded on Sunday, with civilian casualties resulting from Houthi strikes on the port.
Saudi Arabia signed a joint defence agreement with Turkey and Pakistan, and Turkey's foreign minister said he expected Egypt to join the pact.
Source note: AFP news report published on 9 August 2026 at 14:55:54 UTC.
Update
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they would not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until the United States accepts all of Tehran's conditions.
State TV quoted Guards spokesman Hossein Mohebi as saying the strait is now a theatre of war for the Guards, not just a waterway.
Source note: AFP news report published on 9 August 2026 at 08:21:52 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The source does not establish whether the map post represents a formal US legal or military action.
The source does not provide any immediate response from the FCC, Congress or other US institutions to the map post.
The legal basis, if any, for Trump's claim is not provided.
Source
AFP news report published on .