Trump promised to declare the Strait of Hormuz U.S. territory
15 August 14:07
U.S. President Donald Trump has stated that, once the war against Tehran is over, he will declare the Strait of Hormuz—a strategically important sea lane where traffic has been severely hampered for several months due to military operations—to be U.S. territory. This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian", citing Reuters.
“Once we finish crushing Iran… I will, quite soon, declare the strait to be U.S. territory,” he said during a speech in New York.
The Strait of Hormuz has the status of an international strait used for navigation, although the war against Iran that has begun has de facto paralyzed the operation of this regime. The territorial waters of Iran and Oman extend 12 nautical miles (or 22 km) from their coasts. Due to the geographical narrowing of the strait, international shipping lanes pass through the sovereign territorial waters of these two states.
Reuters notes that it remains unclear how seriously Trump meant his statement and whether it signaled a change in official policy. Previously, Washington’s position regarding the strait—through which about 20% of global oil exports passed before the war—involved ensuring freedom of navigation, upholding international maritime law, and containing Iran through an economic blockade and targeted strikes.
Trump also stated that U.S. citizens who are forced to “pay a little more for gas” should remember that this is the price to pay to ensure that a “very evil country” cannot possess nuclear weapons.
“What we’re doing is a tremendous service to the world, not just to ourselves… and we’re really doing a great job,” the president said, adding that he would never apologize for the decision to launch an operation against Iran.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump was prepared to end the war even without a nuclear deal, provided the Strait of Hormuz could be fully reopened. This was reported by U.S. officials familiar with the president’s private communications with his aides. Provided the strait is unconditionally reopened, Trump is prepared to lift the blockade of Iranian ports, the sources said.
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