Trump: "After we defeat Iran, I will declare the Strait of Hormuz as American territory"
The US President hardened his rhetoric against Tehran, emphasizing that the US maintains complete control over the Strait of Hormuz through a naval blockade. He warned that any Iranian attack would be met with a response of "100 times" the force. Simultaneously, the US administration announced that new and unprecedented economic measures aimed at blocking Iranian revenue sources will be unveiled next week.
US President Donald Trump hardened his rhetoric on Friday toward the regime of the ayatollahs, claiming that he intends to declare the Strait of Hormuz as American territory following the completion of the campaign against Iran.
"After we finish defeating Iran, which is being decisively defeated, I will soon declare the Strait of Hormuz as US territory," Trump said in a speech delivered at the David Mack Center for Training and Intelligence in Nassau County, New York.
The President presented the naval blockade enforced by the US as one of the campaign's central achievements. "We have the blockade; no ships pass unless we want them to. You cannot let Iran get nuclear weapons," he said. "The blockade is unstoppable; it is a wall of steel," he added.
Trump claimed that even in Tehran, they understand the depth of the damage the Islamic Republic has suffered, while criticizing the American media for its coverage of the war. "You know who understands best how well we are doing? Iran," he said. However, the President noted that the extensive damage to the Iranian leadership has created a problem for Washington: "Their leadership is gone, and that is exactly our problem—we have no one to negotiate with."
"Full control over Hormuz"
Earlier, Trump told Fox News that the US has "complete control" over the Strait of Hormuz. According to him, the blockade "costs Tehran hundreds of millions of dollars every day." He also warned that if Iran attacks, the US will respond "with 100 times the force." In the interview, Trump stated that the US is about to "hit Iran hard economically," against the backdrop of difficulties in reaching an agreement to end the war, which has been ongoing for nearly six months.
His remarks came hours after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that Washington is expected to unveil new economic measures against Tehran next week. In an interview on Newsmax, Bessent refrained from detailing the measures due to legal restrictions, but promised they would be "the likes of which have not been seen in the history of a country's economic isolation."
According to him, the move will combine unprecedented financial isolation with the continuation of the naval blockade on Iran's ports, intended to block the regime's main sources of income. The measures are expected to expand damage to networks assisting Tehran in bypassing sanctions, including oil trade, money changers, and digital currency channels.
Bessent described the move as an economic and military "one-two punch" that will add to the pressure exerted by the US Navy and further reduce Iran's ability to fund its military activity.
