Donald Trump Declares Strait Of Hormuz ‘New US Territory’ As Iran Keeps Waterway

This is real as a reported statement/image, but the headline is misleading if it means Trump legally annexed the Strait of Hormuz.

• On August 18, 2026, Donald Trump posted an image on Truth Social depicting the Strait of Hormuz with the label “NEW U.S. Territory.”  
• Trump had previously said that, after defeating Iran, he would declare the strait U.S. territory.  
• There has been no recognized legal annexation of the Strait of Hormuz by the United States. The post is a political/territorial claim, not by itself a change in international sovereignty.
• Iran has rejected the claim. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi warned that Trump's assertion would either be corrected or face an Iranian response.
• Trump has simultaneously claimed that the strait is open and that U.S. naval forces have cleared mines, while reports say Iran continues to effectively restrict traffic through the waterway.  

Why this is extremely significant

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most important energy chokepoints. A prolonged shutdown or military confrontation there can disrupt oil and LNG shipments and push energy prices sharply higher. The territorial claim also turns an already dangerous U.S.–Iran confrontation into a dispute over control of an international waterway.

And in the context of the UAE's reported suspension of trade with Iran today, this represents a much broader escalation across the Gulf, rather than an isolated diplomatic dispute.

Bottom line: Trump has publicly claimed/depicted Hormuz as “new U.S. territory”; he has not legally converted it into U.S. territory.