Trump Posts Map Labelling Strait of Hormuz New U.S. Territory; Iran Official Calls It a 'Delusion'

Donald Trump has escalated his clash with Iran by posting a map that labels the Strait of Hormuz as 'NEW U.S. Territory,' drawing an immediate rebuke from Tehran.

The US president shared the image on Truth Social on Tuesday without a caption, leaving the map to speak for itself. The graphic showed the Strait of Hormuz highlighted and labelled as new US territory, days after Trump said he would soon declare the vital waterway part of the United States. There is no recognised legal basis for such a unilateral territorial claim.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Trump doubled down on the idea and claimed Washington already controlled the strait because of its blockade during the continuing conflict with Iran.

'I think it's a great idea,' Trump said. 'I mean, we control it with the blockade. I like the idea of declaring it a territory. We have total control over the Strait.

The remark followed an earlier rally speech on Long Island, where Trump told supporters: 'After we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly defeated – pretty soon I'll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States.'

Iran Dismisses Claim as 'Delusion'

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi responded sharply on X, describing Trump's claim over the strait as a 'delusion' that would be corrected.

'Just as Trump correctly wrote the name of the eternal Persian Gulf, his delusion regarding the Strait of Hormuz will soon either be corrected, or we will correct the delusions of this delusional man,' Gharibabadi wrote.

Tehran has made clear that it does not recognise any US claim over the waterway, which links the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and beyond it, the Arabian Sea.

The strait is narrow, but its importance is global. Any prolonged disruption threatens energy shipments, Gulf economies and countries dependent on oil and gas moving through the region.

Iran Says Strait Will Stay Closed

Iranian officials have said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until Washington fulfils commitments Tehran says were included in a June memorandum of understanding.

Iran has argued that Washington must fulfil provisions of the agreement before normal traffic through the waterway can resume. Reports say Tehran's demands include ending the blockade of Iranian ports, lifting oil sanctions and releasing frozen Iranian assets.

The June arrangement was meant to ease the conflict and restore movement through the strait, but it subsequently faltered amid disputes over control, navigation and sanctions relief.

The 60-day negotiating window established under the agreement expired this week without producing a permanent settlement, leaving Washington and Tehran at an impasse.

Oman Talks Continue

Iran has also been holding talks with Oman, which borders the southern side of the strait, over how ships should pass through Hormuz. Tehran said discussions were continuing as the two sides worked to finalise new shipping arrangements.

Iran has said the proposed arrangement would establish a new navigation route through the waterway, while Washington has opposed any arrangement that it believes would give Tehran control over international shipping through Hormuz.

The dispute sharpened further after the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO) reported that an 'unknown projectile' struck a vessel making an outbound transit through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday.

The agency said the impact damaged the vessel's engine room and resulted in a crew casualty, while the remaining crew received assistance from the Omani Coast Guard. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the incident, and UKMTO did not identify who fired the projectile.