Trump says he'll declare Strait of Hormuz US territory
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- Trump said Friday at a Long Island rally that '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'
- Iran has blockaded the strait for much of the past five months over the US/Israel war, restricting ship traffic and driving up fuel prices worldwide
- Ryan Costello of the National Iranian American Council countered that 'most of the US bases near the strait have been essentially abandoned due to danger from Iranian missiles and drones,' making the jingoism 'ring hollow'
- Trump acknowledged gasoline has soared due to his war but told Americans 'it's OK. I'll never apologize. I did the right thing,' arguing higher prices prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon
- A monthlong US-Iran ceasefire expires Monday, and a senior White House official told Politico the situation is 'static' with no mention of a potential extension
- Representative Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) mocked the comments on X, quipping 'Awesome! And the Easter Bunny is real,' while progressive commentator Kyle Kulinski called for Trump to be 'impeached, removed, and locked up'
- The Trump administration is reaching out to a broader set of countries to pressure Tehran, per AP, with International Crisis Group's Ali Vaez saying 'everyone is just urging both sides to stop this reckless game of chicken'
Why it matters: The ceasefire expires Monday with no deal extension, and the National Iranian American Council's Costello flagged that US bases near the strait have already been abandoned to Iranian fire — meaning Trump's territorial claim targets a waterway the US military can barely access, while he simultaneously asks Americans to accept higher gas prices as the cost of the war.
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