Iran rejects Trump claim over Strait of Hormuz control

Iran rejected President Donald Trump’s claim that he would soon declare the Strait of Hormuz part of U.S. territory, saying the blockaded energy waterway “will remain Iranian.” Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the strait would be closed or opened only under Iran’s command.

Trump told a political rally in New York state on Friday that he would declare the strait a U.S. territory after the United States defeats Iran. An unnamed White House official later said Trump was joking, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The dispute has kept pressure on global energy markets. Before the war, the strait carried about one-fifth of the world’s oil and LNG exports, and the closure has driven up prices for U.S. voters as November’s midterm elections approach.

Attacks in the strait have continued as diplomacy stalls. The United Arab Emirates said Saturday that a state-owned oil company vessel was attacked the previous night and blamed Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.

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