Iran Rejects Trump's Threat To Declare Hormuz A US Territory

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi declared on August 15, 2026, that the Strait of Hormuz will remain under Iranian control despite U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to annex the waterway.

President Trump claimed at a New York rally on August 14 that he would declare the strait U.S. territory after defeating Iran, though a White House official later suggested the remark was a joke.

Tensions remain high as Iran continues to blockade the strait, which carried 20% of global oil and LNG exports before the war, while the UAE reported an attack on an ADNOC vessel on August 15.