Trump stirs fresh Gulf tensions with map declaring Hormuz 'New US Territory'
Straiot of Hormuz. Photo: Collected.
US President Donald Trump has again inflamed tensions with Iran by sharing a map on social media that labels the strategic Strait of Hormuz as “NEW US Territory.” The post, which appeared on Truth Social on Sunday, follows an identical graphic he shared on August 18 and echoes his earlier remarks at a Long Island police event, where he said he would soon claim the waterway as American domain.
The strait, a narrow chokepoint through which a significant share of global oil passes, has become the flashpoint in the escalating US‑Iran confrontation. Tehran has kept the route effectively closed since hostilities intensified, driving up energy prices and forcing regional states to hunt for alternative shipping lanes, reports Deccan Chronicle.
Iran’s top security official, Mohsen Rezaei, swiftly dismissed Washington’s territorial pretensions. “The gap between America's inability to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and its claim to own it is greater than the 7,000‑mile distance between Washington and the Strait itself,” he said, adding sarcastically: “Welcome to the post‑American order in the Persian Gulf.”
The rhetorical clash coincides with fresh US economic measures against Iran. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has previewed what he calls “the toughest sanctions in history,” while pressing China—still a major buyer of Iranian crude—to cooperate. Tehran has condemned the planned penalties as illegal extraterritorial overreach. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei wrote on X that “such secondary sanctions find no foundation in international law.”
Rezaei also warned neighbouring countries against joining the US campaign, stating that any nation that sides with Washington will be treated as an enemy. He outlined a three‑step strategy: dialogue, friendly persuasion, and finally action if those nations refuse to change course.
Despite the brinkmanship, Iranian officials have left the door slightly ajar for diplomacy. President Masoud Pezeshkian has called for negotiations to resolve the standoff, stressing that Tehran must protect its national strength and dignity while seeking an end to the conflict. Yet with Trump doubling down on his territorial claims and Iran vowing to keep the strait shut unless US policy shifts, the strategic waterway remains the epicentre of a deepening crisis that shows no sign of abating. (Source: Deccan Chronicle)
