After U.S. President Donald Trump claimed he would soon declare the Strait of Hormuz U.S. territory, Iran immediately pushed back, calling it a "groundless delusion."
On the 14th (local time), in a speech at the police academy in Garden City, Nassau County, New York, and in a Fox News interview, President Trump said he would "soon declare the Strait of Hormuz U.S. territory." He also said that if Iran launched additional attacks, the United States would "repay it 100-fold."
He added that "we will allow ships to pass only when we want," claiming that the current blockade is costing Iran hundreds of millions of dollars a day.
President Trump went on to say, "Our blockade is like a wall of steel," adding, "No one will have seen anything like this."
In response, Iran Vice Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on the 15th (local time) in a social media post that "the Strait of Hormuz belonged to Iran in the past, belongs to Iran now, and will remain Iranian territory in the future."
The Vice Minister said, "Iran does not fear threats and does not yield to shows of force," adding, "Accept reality now. So far you (the United States) have suffered repeated defeats, both strategically and in terms of the heavy price you have paid."
He added, "This strait will be closed and opened only at Iran's command," and, "As long as you refuse to accept the reality of defeat and remain mired in groundless delusion, Iran will maintain the blockade."
On the 14th, when the "Hormuz as U.S. territory" claim was raised, President Trump also said in a speech at the David S. Mack training and intelligence center in Nassau County, New York, that "Iran is currently being defeated very severely," and argued, "Once we completely defeat Iran, we will soon declare the Strait of Hormuz U.S. territory."
President Trump also said the military was used "a little more than I wanted," and that pressure on Iran is necessary to prevent the regime from possessing nuclear weapons.
These remarks came as the United States and Iran have continued tit-for-tat blockades in the Strait of Hormuz since the war began in February, each claiming control and mobilizing force.
Iran drew a line against resuming talks with the United States. According to the semi-official ISNA news agency, Iran Minister Abbas Araghchi said that no decision has yet been made on whether to resume negotiations with the United States.
The Minister said, "Qatar and Pakistan, which mediate between the United States and Iran, are contacting Iran and exchanging messages, but that does not mean negotiations."