Iran rejects Trump’s plan to declare Strait of Hormuz US territory

Iran has rejected President Donald Trump’s suggestion that he could declare the Strait of Hormuz a US territory, as a 60-day negotiating period between the two sides is set to expire on Monday with no direct talks underway. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on X that the strait “has been Iranian, is Iranian, and will remain Iranian” and called on Washington to “accept the reality of defeat and stop indulging in delusions.” Trump said at a New York rally on Friday that after defeating Iran, he would “pretty soon declare the Strait of Hormuz a US territory.”

Livemint reports that shipping through the strait slowed over the weekend, with only five commodity vessels transiting on Saturday and none on Sunday, compared to 31 the previous weekend, after attacks on tankers. Oil prices edged higher, with Brent crude trading below $89 per barrel, as markets weighed the standoff and renewed Israeli attacks on Lebanon. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said there are “no negotiations” with Washington, though Qatar and Pakistan continue to act as intermediaries.