Trump: "Hormuz" is American land, and we control it entirely by sea and land

Washington – Agencies: US President Donald Trump declared the Strait of Hormuz “American territory” yesterday, asserting that his country controls the entire region by sea and land, and confirming that military options remain on the table despite the shift to a new phase of economic pressure on Tehran. (See page 12). During a campaign stop in South Carolina, Trump said the objective of the war the United States is waging against Iran is to prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons. He cast doubt on statements reported by Fox News, which suggested Iran’s readiness to conclude what he described as “the right deal.” Trump said, “Since I consider the Strait of Hormuz to be American territory at the present time, it is American territory.” The US president affirmed that Washington is closely monitoring developments, noting that its options for dealing with Iran remain open. He stated that the United States has “complete control over the entire region” with regard to the Strait of Hormuz, adding that, in his words, this control extends to vast land areas. With the pivot toward economic warfare, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is scheduled to hold a press conference on Monday to unveil “the harshest sanctions in history” against Iran. Reuters reported yesterday, citing a US official, that Trump holds several leverage cards he can deploy forcefully in the coming weeks, noting that the White House is experiencing divergent views on war with Iran and ways to resolve the crisis. Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said yesterday in a post on X that “economic coercion constitutes an act that is illegal under international law.” Iranian Chief of Staff Ali Bagheri Kani threatened that his country would deliver “overwhelming, painful, and devastating responses.” This stands in contrast to the call by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian for a “diplomatic solution.”