President Donald Trump on Friday said he would “soon” declare the Strait of Hormuz waterway part of US territory after defeating Iran.
“After we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly defeated – pretty soon I’ll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States,” he said with a chuckle during a political rally at a police academy in Garden City, New York.
“It’s true,” he added.
It was unclear how seriously Trump intended the remark or whether it represented a new policy position.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said early on Saturday that Tehran would not be intimidated by threats or a show of force by Washington.
Commenting on Trump’s statements, Gharibabadi said in a social media post that the strategic waterway would only be opened or closed under Iran’s authority.
