Washington/Hyderabad: US President Donald Trump has claimed that he would declare the Strait of Hormuz a US territory after defeating Iran, making an extraordinary assertion over a vital global energy route.
Trump made the remark during a speech on crime and law enforcement in Garden City, New York. He did not explain the legal basis or mechanism for the United States to claim the strategic waterway.
“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.
Trump Claims Major Losses for Iran
Trump also made a series of claims about the impact of US military operations against Iran. He said Iran’s navy and air force had suffered devastating losses.
He claimed that 159 Iranian ships had been destroyed and were at the bottom of the sea. Trump also said all 212 Iranian aircraft had been shot down.
However, he provided no evidence during the speech to support the figures.
Trump further claimed that Iran’s senior leadership had suffered heavy losses, making future negotiations difficult.
“They have no leadership. Their leadership is gone,” Trump said, adding that the lack of senior Iranian officials was creating a problem for negotiations.
The US president said Iran still had some missiles and drones but claimed its ability to produce them had been significantly damaged.
He also claimed that Iranian radar and intelligence capabilities had been destroyed.
Trump defended the US military action by saying it was necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important maritime energy corridors, connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. Any disruption to the waterway could have major consequences for global oil and gas supplies.
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