US President Donald Trump has once again claimed considers the Strait of Hormuz to be part of the United States. He made the statement during a political rally in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on Friday night.

Speaking to supporters, Trump said, "I view the Strait of Hormuz as an American territory right now. It’s an American territory," as he stressed his position on the strategically important waterway. The Strait of Hormuz is a major global shipping route and plays an important role in the transportation of energy supplies. Trump's comments came at a time when tensions between the United States and Iran have increased over the waterway and Washington's actions against Tehran.

Trump defends military action against Iran

Trump also used his speech to defend his decision to take military action against Iran. He argued that Iran must not be allowed to develop or possess 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," Trump said. He further claimed that US action had prevented Iran from obtaining such a weapon. "We went down, and we stopped them; they will never have a nuclear weapon," he added. Trump also claimed that Iran was eager to reach an agreement with Washington. However, he questioned whether the United States would agree to a deal under the circumstances. "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," Trump said.

Trump says US has 'total control'

Earlier on Friday, Trump spoke to reporters at Joint Base Andrews before travelling to Myrtle Beach. During the interaction, he claimed that the United States had "total control" over the Strait of Hormuz. Trump also appeared to support the idea of formally treating the strategic waterway as US territory. He said Washington had control over the area connected to the Strait, particularly in the context of the blockade involving 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," Trump said. He maintained that Iran wanted negotiations but was not prepared to accept what he described as the "right deal". "So they would love to make a deal, but they're not ready to make the right deal in my opinion," Trump said. His remarks have added to the growing confrontation between Washington and Tehran. The Strait of Hormuz remains especially important because a large portion of the world's energy supplies passes through the waterway.

Trump shares AI-generated image

Trump had earlier attracted attention by posting an AI-generated image on his Truth Social account. The image portrayed the Strait of Hormuz as "NEW US Territory", reinforcing his public claims about the strategic waterway. Iran, however, has rejected Trump's assertions and strongly opposed any suggestion that the United States has ownership over the Strait.

Iran rejects Trump's claim

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi responded sharply to Trump's remarks. He said that the US President's claims about the Strait of Hormuz would eventually be challenged either by events or by Iran itself. "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," Gharibabadi said in a post on X. Iran's Supreme National Security Council head Mohsen Rezaei also criticised Trump's statement. He argued that Washington's claim of ownership was far removed from the reality on the ground. "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," Rezaei said in a post on X. The exchange highlights the deepening disagreement between the United States and Iran over the Strait of Hormuz. While Trump has repeatedly claimed that Washington controls the strategic waterway, Iranian officials have rejected the claim and warned against any attempt to assert US ownership over the region.