Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi late on Friday rejected remarks made earlier by US President Donald Trump, who announced during a speech at a police academy his intention to declare the Strait of Hormuz “US territory” once “we finish defeating Iran, which is being defeated very painfully,” as he put it.
“The Strait of Hormuz cannot be seized through tweets” on social media, “nor with aircraft carriers, nor by issuing a decree, nor through campaign speeches,” Gharibabadi responded in a post on X.
The senior Iranian diplomat added that Washington would eventually have to “accept reality,” arguing that it had suffered “strategic and heavy defeats.”
“The Strait of Hormuz was Iranian, is Iranian and will remain Iranian,” he said, adding that it is currently “closed” and will reopen only upon an “order” from Tehran.
“As long as the US does not accept its defeat, Iran will continue to enforce the blockade,” he added.
Trump’s statement on the Strait of Hormuz
President Trump said that he would “soon declare the Strait of Hormuz US territory,” smiling as he made the remark during a police event in Garden City, near New York.
In recent days, the Republican president has repeatedly claimed that Washington has “absolute control” over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran disputes this, describing the assertion as a “lie.”
In practice, the strategically important maritime route for the global energy trade has been closed by Tehran since the beginning of the war in the Middle East, while Washington has retaliated by imposing a blockade on Iranian ports in the Gulf.
During his speech, Trump insisted that Iran would “never have a nuclear weapon.” The Islamic Republic has for decades denied that it has ever intended to develop one.
Trump also addressed rising fuel costs in the United States, saying that “if you have to pay a little more” for fuel, “that’s okay.”
“I will never apologise,” he added, arguing that he “made the right decision” in declaring war.
Battle over oil and pressure on the US economy
Compared with pre-war levels, petrol prices in the United States have risen by more than 35%, causing significant dissatisfaction among households as Trump’s approval ratings decline.
Trump’s defence of the war against Iran came a day after Vice President JD Vance outlined notably different priorities during an interview with Fox News.
“The price of oil has fallen” and is “much lower than the highs it reached at the beginning of the armed conflict,” Vance said.
“That is goal number one: to make sure that oil and petrol remain cheap for Americans.”
“Goal number two is obviously to ensure that Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon,” he added, insisting that “we are on track to achieve both of those goals.”
In recent weeks, the Trump administration appears to have placed increasing emphasis on economic pressure against Iran, as the diplomatic route appears to have reached an impasse. Washington has also suspended its bombing campaign against the Islamic Republic, at least for the time being.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday that no decision had yet been made on resuming negotiations with the United States, according to the ISNA news agency.
He added that mediators Qatar and Pakistan remain in contact with Iran and that messages are being exchanged, but stressed that no negotiations are currently taking place.
Both Washington and Tehran continue to maintain their respective positions and conditions regarding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Source: ANA-MPA
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