Iran fires back at Trump's threat to declare Hormuz a US territory

A woman holds an Iranian flag on a street in Tehran, Iran, on Jun 30, 2026. (File photo: West Asia News Agency via Reuters) 16 Aug 2026 03:40AM (Updated: 16 Aug 2026 03:45AM) TEHRAN: Iran on Saturday (Aug 15) fired back at US President Donald Trump's claim that he would soon declare the Strait of Hormuz part of US territory, saying the crucial energy waterway it has blockaded "will remain Iranian".Trump has repeatedly insisted that the strait, which Tehran effectively closed at the start of the Middle East war in late February, is under US control despite traffic remaining throttled."The Strait of Hormuz has been Iranian, is Iranian, and will remain Iranian," Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on X."This strait will only be closed and opened under Iran's command." Trump