U.S. President Donald Trump said he supports the idea of declaring the Strait of Hormuz U.S. territory, arguing that the United States currently has “total control” of the strategic waterway.
“We have a blockade, we control it through the blockade, and I like the idea of declaring it territory; we can do that,” Trump said during a public appearance.
Trump also described the U.S. blockade as “very effective” and said that millions of barrels of oil are being extracted each week. He acknowledged that Iran could potentially disrupt shipping by placing mines in the water.
Iran has rejected Trump’s proposal, with Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Gharibabadi stating that the Strait of Hormuz cannot be taken over “with a tweet, an aircraft carrier or a decree” and insisting that it remains under Iranian control.
