US President Donald Trump has said he would “soon” declare the Strait of Hormuz a territory of the United States, escalating an already tense confrontation with Iran over the strategically vital waterway.
Speaking at a political rally in New York state on Friday, Trump claimed Iran was being “very badly defeated” and said the US would take control of the strait after defeating Tehran. He also said the United States had imposed a blockade under which “no ships get through unless we want them to.”
The remarks come amid a growing standoff over the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime route linking the Persian Gulf with global energy markets. The waterway carries a significant share of the world’s oil and gas shipments, making any disruption a major concern for countries across Asia and beyond.
According to AFP, Iran has established de facto control over much of the strait since the conflict escalated, restricting access for large parts of civilian shipping. The United States has responded by maintaining a naval blockade of Iranian ports in an effort to increase economic pressure on Tehran.
The confrontation has wider implications for South and Southeast Asia, where countries including India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan depend heavily on energy imports transported through the Gulf. Any prolonged disruption in the strait could raise shipping costs, increase fuel prices and place additional pressure on already vulnerable economies.
The crisis has also heightened concerns among major Asian trading nations over the security of commercial shipping routes and the stability of global energy supplies. A prolonged US-Iran confrontation around Hormuz could therefore extend far beyond the Middle East, affecting trade, inflation and energy security across the wider Indo-Pacific region.
Trump and Israel launched military action against Iran on February 28, saying the operation was aimed at ending Tehran’s controversial nuclear programme and encouraging an uprising against the Iranian government. Iran has retaliated, with the Strait of Hormuz emerging as one of the central pressure points in the conflict.
Trump’s latest comments, if pursued, would represent a dramatic escalation over control of the waterway and could further complicate international efforts to keep one of the world’s most important maritime trade routes open.
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