US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (August 18) posted an image of a map labelling the Strait of Hormuz as a ‘new US territory’ amid ongoing tensions with Iran over the strategic waterway. The post comes as Iran continues to restrict navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial maritime route for global energy shipments.
The US President shared the map on his Truth Social platform without any additional comment. Last week, Trump had said that he would ‘pretty soon’ declare the Strait of Hormuz a territory of the United States.
Hormuz to remain shut: Iran
Meanwhile, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed to maritime traffic until all Iranian conditions set forth in the 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the US are fully met, tying the reopening directly to the complete removal of foreign sanctions and military operations.
“Until America’s commitments in the memorandum of understanding–including lifting the blockade, releasing frozen assets, lifting oil sanctions, ending threats and military operations on all fronts, and other conditions to which America committed–are implemented, the “Strait” will not be opened,” Ghalibaf said.
Warning adversaries against further escalation, the Speaker asserted that the Islamic Republic is “ready to impose a heavier defeat on the enemy in proportion to its actions and aggressions.”
Ghalibaf defended the diplomatic process, noting that the window provided by the MoU to halt military hostilities offered a vital opportunity to strengthen the country’s national defences and domestic economy.
“Of course, it is necessary to clarify that the opportunity gained from the memorandum regarding the lifting of the blockade and the ceasefire was a worthy help in increasing economic resilience and rebuilding Iran’s defensive power,” he said.
Ship attacked in Hormuz
This comes after a vessel transiting the Strait of Hormuz was struck by an unknown projectile, damaging its engine room and leaving one crew member injured, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
“The Company Security Officer has reported that the vessel was struck by an unknown projectile while conducting an outbound transit of the Strait of Hormuz,” UKMTO said in its incident report.
The impact caused damage to the vesselโs engine room and resulted in a crew casualty, it added.
The development comes as the 60-day period for negotiations draws to a close, with key disagreements between Tehran and Washington still unresolved. For Iran, the normalisation of commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains conditional on the lifting of the blockade, the withdrawal of troops and the payment of reparations.
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