Iran Rejects Trump’s Hormuz Claim as Strategic Waterway Becomes US-Iran Flashpoint
Iran has rejected a claim by US President Donald Trump that the United States could take ownership of the Strait of Hormuz after the ongoing conflict, maintaining that the strategic waterway remains under its control.
Trump made the remark on Friday during an appearance at a police academy on Long Island, New York, as tensions continued over the sharp reduction in shipping through the strait. A White House official later indicated that the president’s comment was made in jest and had not been discussed with his advisers.
The dispute comes as efforts to restore normal maritime traffic through the waterway remain unresolved. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran had not agreed to resume negotiations with Washington, despite diplomatic contacts involving Qatar and Pakistan. He said Iran was instead working with Oman on technical arrangements for maritime movement, while any decision to reopen the route would depend on conditions set by Tehran.
Tensions have also grown following attacks involving commercial shipping. The United Arab Emirates accused Iran of striking an Abu Dhabi National Oil Company vessel travelling through the strait on August 13. The vessel sustained damage but no injuries were reported. The disruption has raised concerns across global energy markets, with the waterway normally carrying a significant share of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.
The Strait of Hormuz links the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and lies between Iran and Oman. Its importance to international energy trade has made the latest confrontation particularly sensitive, with the International Energy Agency estimating that around 15 million barrels of crude oil moved through the waterway each day in 2025. As Tehran asserts control over the passage and Washington pushes for unrestricted shipping, Hormuz remains a major pressure point in the widening US-Iran confrontation.
