President Trump often talks big, like when he hinted that he wanted to take over Greenland or when he joked (?) that he might one day set his sights on Cuba.
Just because those two things haven't happened (yet) does not mean he doesn’t fulfill many of his vows — just ask Nicolás Maduro or the very dead Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei if they think he's all bark and no bite.
Speaking at the Nassau County Police Academy in Garden City, New York, on Friday, the president said there’s another area he’d like the U.S. to take full ownership of: the Strait of Hormuz, the important oil and cargo waterway that is at the front and center of the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict.
Before we call it ours, however, we must defeat them, he said:
"After we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly defeated, pretty soon I'll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States," Trump said. "Essentially, that's what we have."
He added that the reason is "the blockade. No ships get through unless we want them to."
Once that job’s done, we’ll call it our territory:
🚨 BREAKING: President Trump says he's soon going to "declare the Hormuz Strait as a territory of the United States"
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) August 14, 2026
TRUMP (chuckling): "Essentially, that's what it is. We have the blockade. No ships get through unless we want them to."
We'll see how serious he actually was… pic.twitter.com/i1ELHFaKrz
🚨 BREAKING: President Trump says he's soon going to "declare the Hormuz Strait as a territory of the United States"
TRUMP (chuckling): "Essentially, that's what it is. We have the blockade. No ships get through unless we want them to."
We'll see how serious he actually was with that remark 😆
As my colleague Ward Clark reported, Trump has been mocking Iranian leadership on Truth Social and made a similar comment about taking the Strait on Wednesday. “I THINK WE WILL KEEP IT!” he wrote:
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 12, 2026
MORE: Trump Now Mocking Iran As Powerless: ‘All Talk and No Action’
Bessent Plans New Economic Measures 'Never Seen Before' Against Iran
Before his speech, Trump had gone on Fox News and said we already effectively control the place and the Iranians are basically powerless:
“We totally control, we own, in the true sense, we own the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump said. “We only allow boats to come in if we want them to come in.”
Trump said the blockade is costing Iran “hundreds of millions of dollars every single day,” while pointing to sweeping U.S. sanctions as another front in Washington’s effort to squeeze the regime.
Asked what his response would be if whoever’s in control of the Islamic Republic started ramping up attacks to negatively affect the GOP's results in the November midterm elections, the president told them that such a plan would go very, very badly for them.
“We’re capable of really destroying the whole place. We don’t want to do that,” Trump said. “If they hit, we would hit back 100 times harder.”
Trump on Iran:
— Clash Report (@clashreport) August 14, 2026
We are capable of destroying the whole place. We don’t want to do that.
If they hit, we would hit back 100 times harder.pic.twitter.com/NnMY9LEwdA
It’s unclear, of course — since the president delivered his remarks with a chuckle — just how serious he is about the plan. He did not elaborate on the mechanics of such a declaration, but if he did make such a bold move, you’d be smart to buy earplugs.
The shrieking and howling from the Iranians, the Democrats, and Judge James Boasberg would be deafening.
Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump and his administration’s bold leadership, we are respected on the world stage, and our enemies are being put on notice.
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