US President Donald Trump has claimed that the Strait of Hormuz is currently American territory, while stressing that Iran must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon.
Addressing a campaign rally in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, President Trump said the US had stopped Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and suggested that Tehran wanted a deal with Washington. Mr Trump also claimed that the US has total control over the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway through which a large share of the world’s energy supplies passes.
Meanwhile, Iran rejected the US President’s claims. In a social media post, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said his remarks would be corrected either by circumstances or by Iran. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council head, Mohsen Rezaei, also criticised Mr Trump’s comments, saying there was a wide gap between Washington’s inability to reopen the Strait and its claim to control the strategic waterway.
Iranian officials also said the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until the US meets Tehran’s demands, including lifting the blockade, releasing frozen Iranian assets and easing oil sanctions. The comments come amid rising tensions between the US and Iran over the strategic waterway and Washington’s economic pressure on Tehran.
