U.S. President Donald Trump on the 21st (local time) claimed, "The Strait of Hormuz is currently U.S. territory."
Trump said in a speech in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, that day, "Iran desperately wants to make a deal, but we don't even know if we want a deal."
The remarks are seen as a claim that the United States effectively controls the Strait of Hormuz. Trump also said on the 14th, "We will soon declare the Strait of Hormuz to be U.S. territory."
Trump's speech came as he campaigned for Dalyn Graham ahead of a runoff on the 25th to choose the Republican nominee for U.S. senator from South Carolina. Graham is the younger sister of the late former U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, one of Trump's closest allies.
Iran, meanwhile, claims it holds the upper hand over the United States. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, meeting with physicians that day, said, "It is better to end the war now that we possess strength and dignity," adding, "The world recognizes our victory, and the United States is hated around the world."
The United States is also signaling sweeping economic pressure on Iran. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he will hold a press conference on the 24th to unveil details of the Iran economic pressure plan, saying it "will be the most powerful sanctions in history."
Iran's Foreign Ministry responded, "Those who imposed and stoked such sanctions deserve trial and punishment for heinous crimes." Iran's military said it "will respond to the enemy's new threats with an overwhelming and destructive counteraction."