Trump posts map showing Strait of Hormuz as US territory

US President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House on Aug 17, 2026, in Washington. (File photo: AP/Manuel Balce Ceneta) 18 Aug 2026 10:06PM (Updated: 18 Aug 2026 10:10PM) WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (Aug 18) posted a map on his Truth Social platform showing the Strait of Hormuz as "NEW US Territory", pressing his threat to claim sovereignty over the vital waterway.Iran has effectively shut down the chokepoint, through which a fifth of the world's oil transits, in retaliation for the war Trump started along with Israel in late February.Trump first raised the idea of a US takeover on Friday, saying in a jovial-sounding tone he would soon declare it to be US territory - prompting Iran to retort that the strait "will remain Iranian".Trump revisited the