Trump floats declaring Strait of Hormuz 'American territory'

BAGHDAD, Iraq — U.S. President Donald Trump said the Strait of Hormuz remains open to ship traffic and indicated he would consider formally designating the waterway as American territory. He argued that the United States already controls maritime movement through the strait via what he described as a naval blockade, adding that millions of barrels of oil pass through it weekly. Trump said Iran's capacity to lay mines in the strait had not neutralized the effectiveness of U.S. naval measures. He described conditions inside Iran as "chaos" and claimed the Iranian military had suffered a heavy defeat. He also said Tehran had not moved toward an agreement Washington deemed necessary and indicated there was no intention to extend any existing memorandum of understanding with Iran. The U.S. president stressed that Washington's core objective is to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the most critical maritime chokepoints in global energy trade, through which a significant share of the world's crude oil shipments transit. No further details were immediately available on how a potential designation of the strait as American territory would be implemented or what legal implications it would carry.