Trump announces intent to claim Strait of Hormuz as US territory after Iran conflict
text_fields
New York: US President Donald Trump announced on Friday that the United States intends to declare the Strait of Hormuz a US territory once military operations against Iran conclude.
Addressing a police academy crowd in New York, Trump stated that the US has established a naval blockade in the strategic waterway, maintaining control over maritime traffic. The statement comes nearly six months into a conflict initiated alongside Israel on February 28.
Trump defended rising domestic gasoline prices resulting from the conflict, framing the economic impact as a necessary trade-off to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear capabilities.
In response, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi dismissed the declaration, reiterating that Iran maintains authority over the strait's opening and closure.
Legal and military observers have highlighted significant hurdles to such a move, including international maritime law and sovereign territorial boundaries belonging to Iran, Oman, and the UAE, alongside operational strains on US naval deployments.
(Inputs from IANS)