"We are going to declare the Strait of Hormuz as US territory soon" - Trump

**"We're going to declare the Strait of Hormuz a US territory soon" — Trump**

US President Donald Trump announced on August 14 that he intends to declare the Strait of Hormuz a "territory of the United States" after the final victory over Iran. This was reported by Reuters.

Speaking at a meeting at the New York State Police Academy, the White House chief of staff noted that the waterway is currently under the control of the American military, which is blocking the ports of the Islamic Republic.

Trump said: "After we complete the victory over Iran - they are being defeated very badly - I will soon declare the Strait of Hormuz a territory of the United States. In fact, that is the situation right now. We have a blockade. No ship can pass through it unless we want to."

The Iranian government also claims that it has blocked the strait, which has been closed to shipping since the US and Israel began a war against Tehran in February.

Trump has not commented on his statement that he considers the Strait of Hormuz to be US territory.

CNN writes that "such a measure would require the indefinite deployment of troops to the region, although the White House leader has previously said that a war with Iran would be short-lived."

Previously, Trump has stated that Washington wants to establish control over Greenland and the Panama Canal, and has also called Venezuela "the 51st state of the United States."

Commenting on Trump's statement, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Qasem Gharibabadi stressed that the Islamic Republic "will not succumb to US threats and displays of force."

**Iran's demands to the US to open the Strait of Hormuz**

Six months after the conflict began, the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and the dispute between Washington and Tehran over control of this strategic waterway continue to deplete global oil reserves. Earlier, the Iranian government presented a new list of demands to the US in order to open the Strait of Hormuz to shipping. Among them are demands for war reparations and the lifting of sanctions.

At the same time, Trump has repeatedly claimed that the Strait is under US control. A few days ago, he said that the US military had cleared the Strait of Hormuz of mines. The White House leader also believes that increasing economic pressure on Tehran would be more effective than new strikes and could force the country's government to make concessions.