Iran has rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that the Strait of Hormuz could soon become U.S. territory, insisting that Tehran retains control over the vital waterway.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, said the strait “has been Iranian, is Iranian, and will remain Iranian” in a post on X late Friday.
“The Strait of Hormuz cannot be seized by tweet, nor by aircraft carrier, nor by issuing an order, nor by an election speech,” Gharibabadi said.
Trump had earlier said that, after the United States defeated Iran, he would “pretty soon” declare the Strait of Hormuz a territory of the United States. He had previously floated the prospect of imposing tolls on shipping through the waterway after the conflict, before later dropping the idea.
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, said no ceasefire or negotiations were currently in place between Tehran and Washington.
“There have been no negotiations held between us and the United States at this time,” Araghchi was quoted as saying by Iranian outlet Shahrara News. He said Qatar and Pakistan were exchanging messages with both sides, but that this did not amount to negotiations.
The diplomatic standoff came as the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre said it had received a verified report that a bulk carrier had been struck by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz. The projectile reportedly hit the vessel’s hull.
Shipping in the waterway has repeatedly come under fire from Iranian projectiles since an interim ceasefire collapsed in June, while the United States has struck Iranian targets as part of its blockade of Iranian ports.
Energy prices have remained above pre-war levels. Trump said Americans would have to accept slightly higher fuel prices while the United States pursued its campaign against Iran.
The average U.S. gasoline price stood at $4.07 a gallon on Saturday, according to the American Automobile Association, compared with $3.15 a year earlier.
Washington is also preparing further economic measures against Tehran. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the United States would combine unprecedented economic isolation with the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz to prevent goods from entering or leaving Iranian ports.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly said the military could maintain its naval blockade indefinitely, with ships rotated in and out of the region.
The USS George Washington strike group left Vietnam on August 12, according to a Navy statement, and is reportedly heading to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been deployed in the Middle East for more than 250 days.
