The president’s suggestion about control of the Strait of Hormuz prompted tough talk from an Iranian official alleging “fanciful delusions.”
Nearly six months after launching Operation Epic Fury, the operation has come and gone, and the strikes against Iran have continued with the Islamist regime reneging on a memorandum of understanding. Now, as President Donald Trump shifted from merely planting his feet to potentially planting a flag, Iran blustered at the notion the Strait of Hormuz would ever be a “territory of the United States.”
The suggestion came Friday when the commander-in-chief hit the campaign trail for Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman (R) in his bid for governor of New York. Addressing law enforcement in Garden City, Long Island, Trump said, “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.”
President Trump vowed to declare the Strait of Hormuz a U.S. territory during a rally in New York as Iran and the U.S. clash over control of the key waterway.
“After we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly defeated, pretty soon I’ll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a… pic.twitter.com/hgTQIypyu5
— CBS News (@CBSNews) August 14, 2026
While not the first time the president has suggested star-spangled dominance of the strategic waterway, the comment did get a rise out of Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi
Taking to X, the official who served as secretary for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action — otherwise known as the Iran Nuclear Deal — ramped up the propaganda as he posted, “The Strait of Hormuz cannot be seized by tweet, nor by aircraft carrier, nor by issuing an order, nor by an election speech. Iran neither fears threats nor cowers before displays of power.”
“Once and for all, accept the reality: up to this point, you have suffered strategic and heavy defeats; the Strait of Hormuz has been Iranian, is Iranian, and will remain Iranian; this strait will only be closed and opened under Iran’s command, and as long as you do not accept the reality of defeat and cease your fanciful delusions, Iran will continue to enforce the blockade,” asserted Gharibabadi.
یکبار برای همیشه واقعیت را بپذیرید: تا اینجا، شکست های راهبردی و سنگینی خوردید؛ تنگه هرمز ایرانی بوده، هست و خواهد بود؛ این تنگه فقط ذیل فرمان ایران بسته و باز خواهد شد و مادامی که واقعیت شکست را نپذیرید و دست از اوهام پردازی برندارید، ایران به إعمال محاصره ادامه خواهد داد.(۲)
— Gharibabadi (@Gharibabadi) August 14, 2026
Reminiscent of the renamed Gulf along the southern coast of the United States, the president previously floated the idea of renaming the key waterway in March when he suggested it be called the Strait of America.
The president even mused at one point during remarks at the Future Investment Initiative Institute Summit, “We’re negotiating now, and it would be great if we could do something, but they have to open it up. They have to open up the Strait of Trump — I mean Hormuz. Excuse me, I’m so sorry. Such a terrible mistake.”
.@POTUS: “We’re negotiating now, and it would be great if we could do something, but they have to open it up. They have to open up the Strait of Trump—I mean Hormuz. Excuse me, I’m so sorry. Such a terrible mistake.” 🤣 pic.twitter.com/TqZptrkEo0
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 27, 2026
Amid the ongoing conflict, U.S. Central Command has repeatedly batted down claims from the Islamist regime about alleged successful strikes, including against aircraft. Meanwhile, before concluding his remarks, the president spoke to the losses Iran has suffered since strikes began and how its economy has been impacted. “They have 350% inflation. Their currency is valueless.”
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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