US President Donald Trump was “joking” when he said he would declare the Strait of Hormuz a US territory after the war with Iran, US media reported Friday.

Trump has not met with his advisers to discuss such a move, Wall Street Journal reporter Brian Schwartz said through US social media platform X, citing an unnamed senior White House official.

“President Trump has not met with his advisers about declaring the Strait of Hormuz a US territory post the war and was joking during his speech today in New York,” Schwartz wrote.

Trump made the remark during a political rally at the Nassau County Police Academy in Garden City, New York.

“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,” he said with a chuckle. “It’s true,” he added.

Schwartz, who attended the speech, said Trump chuckled after making the remark but then appeared to insist that it was true.

Trump also claimed that Washington controls maritime access through the strategically vital waterway.

“We have the blockade. No ships get through unless we want them to,” he told supporters.

Iran disputes US control claims

Iranian military officials have disputed the claim, with Iran’s central military command on Thursday calling assertions of US control over the waterway “baseless lies and fabrications.”

As of Aug. 12, some 3,371 vessels had crossed the strait in the 166 days since the war began, representing around 20% of pre-war traffic volumes, according to data from commodities and shipping analytics firm Kpler cited by CNN.

The US and Iran had agreed to a Pakistan-brokered ceasefire in April and later signed a deal on June 17 to launch negotiations toward a final agreement. However, the talks subsequently stalled over disagreements including security guarantees and freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

The two sides also exchanged military strikes from July 8 to 24, with Washington attacking targets inside Iran, and Tehran responding with strikes on what it described as US military facilities and equipment in several Arab countries, including Jordan, Bahrain, and Kuwait.

The Strait of Hormuz connects the Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and is one of the world’s most important energy shipping routes. (AA)