US President Donald Trump has called the Strait of Hormuz "American territory" as tensions with Iran rise, while warning that Tehran must never be allowed to get a nuclear weapon. His remarks came as Washington said it had “total control” over the strategic waterway, drawing a sharp response from Iranian officials and adding to fears of a wider regional crisis.
Speaking at a rally in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Trump said the United States could not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon.
“We cannot let them have a nuclear weapon; we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon, or you will see some very bad things,” he said.
Trump also claimed that the United States had already stopped Iran from getting one.
“We went down, and we stopped them; they will never have a nuclear weapon,” he added.
Trump said Iran wanted to reach a deal with Washington but questioned whether the US would agree to one. He also made a strong claim about the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy supplies.
“They want to make a deal so badly, we don't even know if we want [a deal] because I view the Strait of Hormuz as an American territory right now, it's an American territory,” he said.
Earlier, before leaving Joint Base Andrews for Myrtle Beach, Trump said the US had “total control” over the area around the Strait of Hormuz.
He said the US had control of the region as part of what he described as a blockade against Iran.
“We're just going to sort of see what happens, and we have total control, as you know, of the border; we have total control -- if you look at the blockade, we have total control of that entire region having to do with the Strait of Hormuz,” he said.
Trump also said Iran wanted a deal but was not ready to accept what he called the right deal.
“So they would love to make a deal, but they're not ready to make the right deal in my opinion,” he said.
The Strait of Hormuz is a major shipping route for global oil and gas supplies. Any disruption in the waterway could affect energy markets and raise concerns about supply and prices.
The latest comments come as Washington and Tehran remain locked in a growing dispute over the waterway and US pressure on Iran.
Trump recently announced what he called the “most crushing economic operation ever taken” against Iran. He also warned countries that provide financial, business or government support to Tehran of what he described as “tremendous economic consequences.”
Iranian officials quickly rejected Trump's statement that the Strait of Hormuz should be viewed as US territory.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Trump's claim would be corrected either by events or by Iran.
“Just as Trump correctly wrote the name of the eternal Persian Gulf, soon his delusion regarding the Strait of Hormuz will either be corrected or we will correct the delusions of this deluded man,” he said.
Iran's Supreme National Security Council head Mohsen Rezaei also criticised Trump.
“The gap between America's inability to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and its claim to own it is greater than the 7,000-mile distance between Washington and the Strait itself. Welcome to the post-American order in the Persian Gulf,” he said.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Tehran would not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until the United States meets a 14-point memorandum of understanding.
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