President Donald Trump (R-FL) said Monday that declaring the Strait of Hormuz a U.S. territory is a "great idea" [1, 2].
The proposal comes at a moment of heightened tension in the Persian Gulf, where control over the narrow waterway affects global energy security and regional stability.
Speaking from the Oval Office in Washington, D.C., Trump said the United States already maintains total control over the strait [1, 2]. He said the current naval blockade justifies a formal change in the waterway's status [1, 2, 3].
"Well, I just think it's a great idea. Yeah, I mean we control it. We control it with the blockade" Trump said. "We have a blockade. We control it with the blockade, and I like the idea of declaring it a territory. We can do that. We have total control over the strait" [1].
The Strait of Hormuz, located between Oman and Iran, is one of the world's most strategic maritime chokepoints. Trump's comments suggest a shift toward formalizing a military presence into a territorial claim, a move that would fundamentally alter international maritime law.
This rhetoric coincides with a ticking clock for diplomatic efforts. A 60-day deadline [4] for the U.S. and Iran to negotiate a peace deal and reopen the Strait of Hormuz is currently expiring [4].
While the administration has emphasized the effectiveness of the blockade against Iran [3], the suggestion of territorial annexation represents a significant escalation in the U.S. approach to the region. The blockade has been described by the president as a tool of total control [1].
“"I like the idea of declaring it a territory. We can do that."”
The suggestion to annex the Strait of Hormuz as U.S. territory would challenge the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and likely provoke a severe response from Iran and its allies. By linking territorial claims to the existing naval blockade, the administration is signaling that it views military dominance as a precursor to legal sovereignty in strategic corridors.
