Trump says he will declare Strait of Hormuz a US ‘territory’ amid Iran war - Al Jazeera

US President Donald Trump announced plans to declare the Strait of Hormuz a "territory" of the United States, speaking to supporters in New York on Friday, August 14, 2026.
Trump said the declaration would come "after we finish defeating Iran," which he claimed was "being very badly defeated," framing the move amid the ongoing war.
The US and Israel have been at war with Iran since February 28, following a series of strikes, prompting Iran to restrict traffic through the strait, which previously carried roughly 20 percent of the global oil supply.
A June memorandum of understanding aimed to halt military operations and required Iran to make its "best efforts for the safe passage of commercial vessels," but both sides alleged violations and fighting resumed by the end of that month.
Iran maintains that part of the strait falls within its territorial waters and remains under its control, and it has continued targeting commercial vessels there.
The US has established its own blockade, firing this week on a cargo vessel it accused of trying to reach Iranian ports, with Trump touting the blockade as impenetrable and a service to countries reliant on the waterway.