Tehran escalated its rhetoric toward Washington on Saturday after US President Donald Trump announced that he would "soon" declare the Strait of Hormuz US territory. Iran reaffirmed that the strait is "Iranian and will remain Iranian," amid an ongoing US naval blockade on Iranian ports.
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Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs stated in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that "the Strait of Hormuz cannot be seized with a tweet, aircraft carrier, order, or campaign speech," emphasizing that Iran "does not fear threats nor succumb to displays of force."
He added, "Accept reality once and for all," accusing the United States of suffering "heavy, strategic defeats," and reiterating that "the Strait of Hormuz was Iranian, is Iranian, and will remain Iranian."
He stressed that opening or closing the strait "will only occur by Iran's order," and that his country will maintain the blockade unless "you accept the reality of defeat and abandon your fantasy illusions."
On Friday, speaking at a political rally at a police academy in New York, Trump declared: "Very soon I will announce the Strait of Hormuz as US territory," asserting that the United States exercises full control over the strait and may retain it.
Trump stated that the naval blockade against Iran remains in force and that ships will not traverse the strait without US authorization, describing the blockade as a "wall of steel."
He warned that any Iranian attack on the United States would be met with a response "a hundred times stronger," noting that while his administration has used military force "more than I would have liked," continued pressure on Tehran remains necessary to prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Trump added that the war with Iran is a "great service to the world," saying: "I will never apologize; I did the right thing," while labeling Iran "the world's number one state sponsor of terrorism."
Trump's remarks coincided with an announcement by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that Washington will impose "unprecedented measures in the history of economic isolation against any country" on Iran, promising further announcements next week.
The United States maintains a naval blockade on Iranian ports along the Strait of Hormuz, while Tehran has laid out six conditions for its reopening. Key demands include an immediate end to military operations, the lifting of sanctions and the blockade, the withdrawal of US forces from surrounding areas, payment of war reparations, and the unfreezing of Iranian assets.
In response, Washington claimed Tehran had pledged not to impose transit fees on ships and to allow the continued flow of oil through the strait, amid Oman-mediated negotiations regarding navigational arrangements.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated on Saturday that Qatar and Pakistan, acting as mediators, are conveying messages and remain in communication with Iran, though this does not signify the start of formal negotiations, according to Iran's Fars News Agency.
Araghchi emphasized that his country has not decided to resume negotiations with the United States, clarifying that talks centered on "ending the war" as stipulated in the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, rather than a mere ceasefire.
He added that the 60-day window was an opportunity to negotiate a final agreement, stressing that "there is no such thing as an extension of the ceasefire."
He noted that the United States violated the understanding and reignited clashes.
The Strait of Hormuz, situated between Iran and the Sultanate of Oman, remains a central flashpoint in the conflict due to its critical role in global trade, historically serving as a transit route for nearly a fifth of the world's energy supplies prior to the war.
The war broke out on February 28 when Israel and the United States launched strikes against Iran, prompting Tehran to close the strait, utilizing it as a strategic leverage point against Washington.
Iran warned that resuming the naval blockade on its ports undermines the MoU with Washington, threatening to target regional infrastructure should the United States carry out threats against vital installations inside Iranian territory.
