The US-Iran tussle for control over the Strait of Hormuz worsened on Friday as US President Donald Trump insisted he would “never apologise” for initiating military action against Tehran. He also indicated plans to make the contentious waterway between Oman and Iran an American territory and insisted that gas prices were currently “okay”. The remarks have sent fuel prices surging even higher as the nearly six-month-long war shows no sign of stopping.
As the US president argued that price hikes are just a small price to pay to ensure Iran doesn’t possess a nuclear weapon, he also issued a more serious declaration. Addressing a rally crowd in Nassau County before the weekend, the MAGA leader laid out his plans to make the Strait of Hormuz “a US territory” after the United States “finishes defeating Iran.”
Trump asserted that the transition linked to the international waterway, which was responsible for nearly 34% of global crude oil trade in 2025, would happen “pretty soon.” However, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi rebuffed those claims, stressing that the crucial channel can’t simply be “seized” by issuing threats through declarations made over social media or in a speech.
Meanwhile, direct negotiations between both sides are at a standstill, as the US and Iran continue to map out contradictory narratives about potentially ending the war in West Asia.
Trump ready to declare Hormuz a US territory
As control of the waterway continues to remain the focus of the war between the US and Iran, Trump told the crowd at Nassau County that in light of the ongoing blockade, no ships will get through the Strait of Hormuz “unless we want them to.”
Merely days before he announced that he plans to declare the strait a US territory soon, Trump reiterated that Iran had no control over the waterway.
“We have total control. We own it, and at some point, maybe they’ll do something, and then they get blown away,” he told reporters on Wednesday. “Right now, we’re in a very good position.”
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) centre estimated this week that shipping traffic in Hormuz was 17% of the pre-conflict average for the last seven days. Its Friday report indicated that only 151 ships traversed the critical pathway this past week.
On top of that, the report showed that there have been 56 reports of vessel damage in the strait and nearby waters since the conflict between the US and Iran began on February 28.
Nonetheless, the numbers stand at a better position than the previous week, when shipping traffic was just 4% of pre-conflict levels, according to the UKMTO.
Trump minimises Iran war’s financial toll on the US
On Friday, the AAA national average for a gallon of regular was $4.07, up from $3.85 a month ago and $3.16 a year ago.
Despite outgoing White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt suggesting otherwise merely hours ago, Trump maintained his stance that his decision to launch military action against Iran was the “right” one.
Paying no heed to the persistent complaints from Americans about the rising oil and gas prices, he said at the Nassau County event, “You’re at $4. It’s okay. I mean, it’s — I’m not, I’m not, I’ll never apologise. I did the right thing.”
Earlier in the day, Leavitt, who will be leaving her post by the month’s end, said that the POTUS aims to keep gas prices low just as much as he has plans on ensuring Iran never gets a nuclear weapon.
Contrary to Trump claiming that higher gas prices are worth it, several polls and surveys across the board have shown that an increasing percentage of Americans say otherwise. A recent CNN poll conducted by SSRS found that a record-high 73% of American adults say that Trump hasn’t paid enough attention to the US’ most important problems. 67% of US respondents stressed that his decisions about military action in Iran have hurt the US.
The lowest numbers were recorded on three interlinked issues, with just 28% approving of his handling of the Iran situation, 25% on inflation and 21% on gas prices. These numbers also included a massive percentage of disapproval pouring in from his own supporters.
A staggering 74% of Americans believe that Trump does not have a clear plan for handling the situation in Iran, according to the CNN poll conducted from July 23 to 27. This figure has gone up from 67% recorded during the March 26-30 period.
Trump had originally promised to end the conflict with Iran soon. However, the war is now entering its half-year mark, having started in late February. The US president’s fresh threat about assuming full control of the Strait of Hormuz also entails that he would have to deploy military troops in the region for an indefinite period.
How is Iran responding to Trump’s threat?
While Trump continues to insist that the strait is under US control, Iran has repeatedly asserted that it won’t reopen the waterway fully until America meets its demands, including lifting the naval blockade and withdrawal of US military forces from around Iran.
Early Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Qatar and Pakistan, who are playing the role of mediators, continue to exchange messages in hopes of resolving the war between Tehran and Washington.
However, he stopped short of describing those interactions as negotiations, even though Trump recently told Axios that the US was “low-keying” talks and “semi-negotiating” with Iran. Araghchi also emphasised that Iran hadn’t yet decided whether to resume actual negotiations with the US.
After Trump’s declaration about Hormuz on Friday, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi also hit back, stating, “The Strait of Hormuz cannot be seized with a tweet, an aircraft carrier, an executive order, or a campaign speech. Iran neither fears threats nor is intimidated by displays of force.”
He also reiterated that the waterway’s opening or closure will be solely determined under Iranian authority. “As long as you refuse to accept the reality of defeat and abandon your delusions, Iran will continue enforcing the blockade,” he added.