Trump Again Labels Strait of Hormuz ‘New American Territory’ on Social Media

WASHINGTON:US President Donald Trump has once again shared a map of the Strait of Hormuz on social media, labeling the strategically important waterway as “new American territory,” amid heightened tensions between the United States and Iran.

Trump posted the map on his social media platform, Truth Social. The image showed the Strait of Hormuz, located between Iran and Oman, circled and marked with the words “new American territory.” Trump did not provide a caption with the post.

The move came a day after Trump endorsed the idea of declaring the Strait of Hormuz an American territory, calling it a “great idea.” Last week, when journalists asked what he meant by saying the waterway should become US territory, Trump said he meant that the United States should control it.

Trump has repeatedly claimed that the US controls the Strait and said on Friday that Washington could seek to declare it American territory after defeating Iran.

### Who Controls the Strait of Hormuz?

Experts say Trump’s claims do not reflect the complex legal status of the waterway.

The Strait of Hormuz is approximately 50 kilometers wide and connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman. Iran lies to its north and Oman to the south, with parts of the waterway falling within the territorial waters of the two countries.

Maritime law experts say neither Iran nor the United States can claim absolute legal ownership of the entire strait. Under international maritime law, ships have rights of passage through the waterway.

Jason Chua, a maritime law professor at City, University of London, said that a US presidential declaration alone would not be sufficient to make the strait US territory. He said incorporating new territory into the United States would require constitutional procedures, while unilateral annexation of territory would conflict with principles of international law and the UN Charter.

Professor Chua added that the lawful acquisition of territory or maritime areas would generally require the consent of the relevant state or a formal transfer.

Simon Baughen, a shipping law professor at Swansea University, similarly said that turning the Strait of Hormuz into US territory would require Iran to agree to transfer its territorial waters to the United States, something considered highly unlikely under current circumstances.

### Military Control Does Not Mean Ownership

Experts have also rejected Trump’s suggestion that military control of the waterway would establish American ownership.

Chua said military control of a maritime route does not automatically transfer legal ownership. A navy may be capable of controlling a waterway, he explained, but such control does not change the underlying rules of territorial sovereignty.

According to the experts, the Strait of Hormuz is governed by an international maritime legal framework in which freedom of navigation and rights of passage are key principles.

### Toll Proposal Could Also Face Legal Challenges

Baughen said a more realistic scenario could involve the United States, Iran and Oman reaching an agreement to keep the strait open and potentially impose fees or tolls on ships passing through it.

However, he noted that such an arrangement could also face legal challenges under international maritime law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important energy transit routes, linking major oil-producing countries in the Persian Gulf with global markets. Any disruption or change in the status of the waterway during the ongoing US-Iran tensions could therefore have significant consequences for international energy markets.