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US President Donald Trump said Friday that he would “soon” declare the Strait of Hormuz US territory after what he described as a defeat of Iran.
“After we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly defeated — pretty soon I’ll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States,” Trump said with a chuckle at a political rally at a police academy in New York state.
“It’s true,” he added.
Trump and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28, saying their objectives were to end Tehran’s controversial nuclear programme and encourage a popular uprising.
Iran subsequently established de facto control over much of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial maritime chokepoint through which large volumes of global energy and other commodities are transported.
The United States and Iran remain locked in a standoff over the waterway. Iran has restricted access for much civilian shipping, while the US Navy has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports in an effort to pressure Tehran’s economy.
“We have the blockade. No ships get through unless we want them to,” Trump told the cheering crowd.
