Iran rejects ‘delusions’ after Trump says he wants the Strait of Hormuz to be a U.S. territory

Iran called on the U.S. to “accept the reality of defeat” after President Donald Trump said he would declare the Strait of Hormuz a “territory” of the U.S.

TEHRAN, Iran — A defiant Iran called on the U.S. to “accept the reality of defeat and stop indulging in delusions” after President Donald Trump suggested that he would soon declare the Strait of Hormuz a “territory of the United States.”

The crucial waterway that handled one-fifth of the world’s oil before the war “cannot be seized with a tweet, nor with an aircraft carrier, nor by issuing an order, nor through an election speech,” Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said in a post on X early Saturday.

“This strait will only be opened and closed under Iran’s command, and as long as you do not accept the reality of defeat and stop indulging in delusions, Iran will continue to enforce the blockade,” he added.

With oil tanker traffic through the strategic strait at a trickle and peace talks between the U.S. and Iran at an impasse, there are few signs that the war, launched on Feb. 28, is close to being over.

Vessels anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Bandar Abbas, Iran earlier this week.Getty Images / Getty ImagesA 60-day negotiating period intended to hammer out a deal to end the conflict, set when Trump and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding in mid-June, ends on Monday with few direct negotiations having taken place.