Trump Calls Hormuz American Territory as US Blockade Redirects 68 Commercial Vessels
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Aug 22
Trump Calls Hormuz American Territory as US Blockade Redirects 68 Commercial Vessels
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Aug 22
Summary
Trump told a South Carolina rally he views the Strait of Hormuz as “an American territory” and later joked about bombing Iran again, sharpening his rhetoric as the war nears six months.
Sixty-eight commercial vessels have already been redirected under the US military blockade, which the administration is using to squeeze Iran financially by restricting access to its key shipping lanes and ports.
About one-fifth of the world’s seaborne oil normally passes through Hormuz, making Trump’s claim especially consequential for global energy flows and Iran’s oil exports.
Trump had floated the idea last week, then reinforced it with remarks on Monday and a social-media map labeling the waterway a “new U.S. territory”; Iran’s deputy foreign minister called the comments “delusions.”