The US President has announced a change in the status of a strategic maritime route following the end of the war with Iran. The US already controls the movement of vessels through the strait.
Briefly about the main points
- Trump has stated that he will soon declare the Strait of Hormuz to be US territory.
- He promised to do this once the war against Iran was over.
- The US military is already monitoring the movement of vessels through the strait.
- According to Trump, no vessel passes through without US authorisation.
Trump announced the annexation of the Strait of Hormuz
President of the United States Donald Trump stated that he intends to announce Strait of Hormuz the territory of the United States. He made this statement on 14 August during a speech broadcast on the White House’s official television channel.
«Once we have finished crushing Iran, which is already suffering a very serious defeat, I will very soon declare the Strait of Hormuz to be US territory. In essence, that is already the case. We are forced to keep it under blockade. No ship will pass unless we want it to,» Trump said.
The US President did not specify exactly when the relevant decision might be announced, nor in what legal form it is intended to be drawn up.
The US monitors vessel traffic through the strait
The statement was made against the backdrop of the US naval blockade of Iran. The US Navy is monitoring ship movements near Iranian ports and is able to intercept or divert vessels.
Trump had previously stated that the US had «full control» over the Strait of Hormuz. He described the US naval task force deployed there as a «wall of steel» and suggested that Washington would retain control of the route. Reuters
US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth He also stated that the US Navy is capable of maintaining the blockade of Iranian ports for an indefinite period thanks to the rotation of its warships.
The statement has not yet altered the legal status of the strait
The Strait of Hormuz is situated between Iran and Oman. Its waters extend into the territorial waters of both countries, and the route is of international importance for commercial shipping.
Trump’s public statement does not, in itself, alter the legal status of the strait. To implement such a decision, the US administration would have to issue a formal document and explain its legal basis.
Iran and Oman have not yet indicated that they agree to place their territorial waters under US jurisdiction. Their reaction to Trump’s latest statement is awaited.
One-fifth of the world’s oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz
Before the restrictions were imposed, around 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas was transported through the Strait of Hormuz. The blockage of this route is affecting energy prices, tanker insurance and the stability of international supplies.
Through the US–Iran standoff Traffic through the strait has fallen from over 130 to just a few vessels a day. Tehran is demanding the lifting of the US blockade, the easing of sanctions and the unfreezing of Iranian assets.
Trump’s announcement of his intention to declare the Strait of Hormuz US territory could mark a new phase in the standoff with Iran and provoke a reaction from other states in the region.
