Trump explains why he covertly switched planes in Turkey
President Trump says he secretly switched planes in Turkey on Secret Service advice, citing threats and distrust of Iran.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said he plans to soon declare the Strait of Hormuz “a territory of the United States” as he once again asserted control of the critical waterway amid the war in Iran and touted the success of an American naval blockade of Iranian ports.
“After we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly defeated, pretty soon I’ll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States,” Trump said in an Aug. 14 speech in New York. “Essentially that’s what we have. The blockade ‒ no ships get through.”
Trump’s comments marked his latest escalation in rhetoric over the Strait of Hormuz, which he has claimed the United States has taken over and blocked Iranian ships from accessing. Trump has said the blockade of the strait, an international waterway that Iran relies on to transport oil shipments, has wrecked Tehran’s economy.
But Iran has rejected Trump’s characterization of the strait, asserting it is under the “complete management and control” of Iran and that no commercial ships can go through without Iran’s permission.
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