Iran rebuffs Trump: Hormuz cannot be seized by tweet or decree

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi has stressed that the Strait of Hormuz cannot be seized merely through a tweet, the deployment of an aircraft carrier, an order, or an election campaign speech. The statement was made on Friday to rebut claims by US President Donald Trump, who has boasted that he will declare the Strait of Hormuz as American territory. The Iranian deputy foreign minister said the US must acknowledge the serious strategic defeat it has suffered in its war against Iran. “Iran does not fear threats and cannot be intimidated by shows of force,” he said in a post on the social media platform X. “The Strait of Hormuz belongs to Iran, belongs to Iran now, and will remain Iran’s. This strait will only be closed and opened on Iran’s orders. Until you accept the reality of your defeat and abandon your fantasies, Iran will continue to enforce a blockade in Hormuz,” he added. In a statement a day earlier, Trump claimed that the US Navy was enforcing a full blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. “After completely defeating Iran, I will immediately declare the Strait of Hormuz as territory of the United States,” Trump said. Meanwhile, Iranian officials have repeatedly said the strait will not be reopened as long as the US continues to intervene in the region, maintains a naval blockade, and fails to meet the conditions set out in the June agreement between Tehran and Washington. Via the Truth Social platform, Trump also claimed that the US already has full control over the Strait of Hormuz and believes that control can be maintained. Ibrahim Zolfaqari, spokesman for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, Iran’s highest military body for coordinating war, rejected Trump’s claim on Thursday. “No ship will be allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz without Iran’s permission and supervision,” Zolfaqari said.