Iran has rejected US President Donald Trump's claim that Washington will soon declare the Strait of Hormuz American territory as the two countries remain locked in a war with no peace talks in sight.
Speaking at a campaign rally in Garden City, New York on Friday, Trump said that after "defeating" Iran, he would "pretty soon" claim the strategic waterway as US territory. Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi hit back on social media with saying the strait "cannot be seized by a tweet or an aircraft carrier" and would remain under Iranian command until Washington accepted defeat.
The exchange comes as tanker traffic through the Hormuz which once carried a fifth of the world's oil and remains almost completely halted. Only two vessels passed through on Friday, with no crude shipments recorded according to ship-tracking firm Kpler. Several tankers have come under attack while attempting the crossing and two vessels operated by the UAE's Abu Dhabi National Oil Company and a bulk carrier struck by an unidentified projectile, the UK Maritime Trade Organisation said.
The near-closure has pushed oil prices higher, with US gasoline averaging $4.08 a gallon on Friday up 29% from a year earlier. Trump urged Americans to accept the higher costs also saying it was worth ensuring Iran could not obtain a nuclear weapon.
The war began on February 28 with joint US-Israeli strikes on Iranian military and infrastructure sites has continued despite a June memorandum of understanding meant to end hostilities. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said no decision had been made to resume talks with Washington, though mediators Qatar and Pakistan remain in contact with Tehran.
Military tensions have also escalated. Iran's Revolutionary Guard said it shot down a US MQ-9 drone this week, part of losses that reportedly total 45 aircraft about a quarter of the US drone fleet since the war began. The US has also announced a new multinational drone task force aimed at increasing pressure on Iran, a move analysts warn could invite further Iranian retaliation.
Separately, Iran and Oman are holding technical talks to redefine safe shipping routes through the strait, though Araghchi said this is unrelated to any broader reopening, which depends on the US meeting Iran's conditions.
