Trump Declares Strait of Hormuz US Territory Amid Escalating Tensions
President's social media post ignites fresh geopolitical friction as oil prices surge and ceasefire collapses.
Image: Eddie Pollard / AI
Sarah Connor
President Donald Trump declared the Strait of Hormuz as U.S. territory in a post on Truth Social.
Fading hopes for a peace deal between the U.S. and Iran reportedly triggered the market's violent reaction.
Gas prices across the country jumped by more than $1 per gallon on average since late February.
A 60-day memorandum of understanding to extend a ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran expired on Monday.
This collapse occurred amid an almost daily exchange of insults and statements between the leaders of the U.S. and Iran.
Following the MOU's expiration, U.S. and Iranian forces reportedly traded fire, resulting in the deaths of three U.S. service members and injuries to more.
Despite Trump's claim that the U.S. has 'total control' of the Strait of Hormuz, traffic through the vital waterway reportedly remains at a crawl.
Claims by Trump of back-channel talks are understood to be considered 'delusions stemming from defeat' by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-affiliated Fars News.
Only six vessels traveled through the strait last weekend, a stark contrast to the typical 140 oil tankers per day before the conflict began.
This dramatic reduction leads shipping lines and their customers to consider the prospect of a day 1,000 of the Hormuz crisis.
Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf claims the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. meets interim deal conditions, directly challenging Trump's assertion of U.S. territorial ownership.