Trump vows to make Hormuz Strait US territory
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- Trump told a Long Island crowd Friday that "pretty soon, I'll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States," framing it as coming "after we finish defeating Iran"
- Iran has blockaded the Strait of Hormuz for much of the past five months over Trump's and Israel's "illegal war," restricting ship traffic and driving up fuel prices worldwide
- Trump's remarks came just before a monthlong US-Iran ceasefire is set to expire Monday, with a senior White House official telling Politico the situation is "static" and that no extension has been discussed
- Ryan Costello, policy director at the National Iranian American Council, said the territorial threat "rings a bit hollow" because most US bases near the strait "have been essentially abandoned due to danger from Iranian missiles and drones"
- Trump acknowledged gasoline prices have soared due to his war but told the crowd "I'll never apologize. I did the right thing," citing the need to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran
- The AP reported the administration is reaching out to a broader set of countries to pressure Tehran, while Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group said "everyone is just urging both sides to stop this reckless game of chicken"
Why it matters: Trump's territorial claim over a waterway Iran has effectively blockaded for five months lands with a ceasefire expiring Monday and US bases near the strait reportedly abandoned due to Iranian strikes. The president is asking American consumers to absorb $4 gasoline as a worthy trade-off while escalating rather than de-escalating a conflict with no diplomatic resolution in sight.
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