New York, Aug 15 (V7N)- US President Donald Trump has announced plans to declare the strategically important Strait of Hormuz as US territory after defeating Iran, amid ongoing tensions and military conflict in the Middle East.

Speaking at a rally in New York on Friday (August 14), Trump said the move would be made “very soon” after the United States defeats Iran.

The Strait of Hormuz is a crucial global energy route through which a significant share of the world's oil, natural gas and other commodities passes. Before the current conflict, roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies moved through the waterway.

Shipping through the strait has been severely disrupted since the war involving Iran, the United States and Israel began on February 28. Control of the waterway has subsequently become a major point of dispute between Washington and Tehran.

A memorandum of understanding was reached between the US and Iran in June as part of efforts to end the conflict. Under the arrangement, Iran agreed to make its “best efforts” to ensure the safe passage of commercial vessels. However, both sides later accused each other of violating the agreement, and fighting resumed before the end of the month.

Meanwhile, Washington and Tehran have continued uneasy negotiations. Although the intensity of fighting has eased somewhat, a permanent settlement has yet to be reached.

Iran maintains that it has the right to exercise control over portions of the Strait of Hormuz because they fall within its territorial waters. The United States, meanwhile, has imposed its own blockade around the waterway.

Earlier this week, US forces attacked a cargo vessel that Washington said was attempting to reach an Iranian port.

Trump described the US blockade as “impenetrable” during his Friday speech and argued that American control of the waterway would benefit not only the United States but also countries around the world that depend on the route.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi strongly rejected Trump's remarks. In a social media post, he said the Strait of Hormuz cannot be seized through a social media post, aircraft carrier, order or election speech, adding that Iran is not intimidated by threats or displays of military power.

Trump has previously raised the possibility of imposing fees on commercial vessels using the strait. Last month, he suggested that the United States could act as a “guardian” of the waterway and potentially impose a 20 percent fee on goods transported through it.

International law experts, however, have questioned the legality of such a measure, noting that international maritime law protects the passage of commercial vessels through strategic waterways under certain conditions.

Trump's comments also come in the context of his broader interest in expanding US territorial influence. After returning to the presidency in 2025, he spoke of building a “growing nation” and subsequently pressed Canada and Denmark over sovereignty issues involving Canada and Greenland.

Meanwhile, Trump told Fox News on Friday that Washington would use economic pressure to weaken and isolate Iran, which has faced extensive US sanctions for decades.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent separately told Newsmax that Washington could announce additional economic measures against Iran in the coming days.

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