Middle East

Newsworthy News - President Trump said he will declare the Strait of Hormuz a United States territory, raising legal and economic stakes in a vital oil chokepoint. Trump asserted “total control” of the Strait and signaled a U.S. territorial claim.

Iran issued competing claims, saying it manages the waterway and can restrict passage. United Nations sea law supports transit passage, not sovereignty changes, in key straits.

On August 12, President Trump said the United States has “total control” over the Strait of Hormuz. Two days later, he said he would declare the strait “a territory of the United States.” These remarks go beyond normal freedom of navigation language and point to a sovereignty claim. The strait carries much of the world’s oil and gas. Any shift in who controls it affects fuel prices, shipping routes, and insurance costs worldwide.