Iran Rejects President Trump's Ultimatum to Declare Strait of Hormuz US Territory

Iranian officials have forcefully rejected statements by U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the prospective annexation of the Strait of Hormuz as U.S. territory. Speaking at a public event in New York, Trump asserted that the critical international trade route would soon fall under exclusive American control following military operations. The declaration prompted an immediate rebuttal from Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, who stated via social media that the strategic waterway cannot be seized through executive declarations or military displays. The diplomatic friction coincides with an ongoing U.S. naval blockade restricting major Iranian ports and retaliatory commercial shipping blocks by Tehran, leaving international energy transit paralyzed. While economic pressures drive up global crude and domestic gasoline prices, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that formal diplomatic talks remain frozen. Defense analysts warn that enforcing permanent control over the vital Persian Gulf chokepoint could require extensive ground troop deployments, raising the stakes for a prolonged regional conflict.