President Donald J. Trump has posted a new image to his Truth Social feed declaring the Strait of Hormuz as a ‘NEW U.S. Territory’.
Analysis: This claim is a clear example of geopolitical absurdity. The Strait of Hormuz is a vital international waterway bordered by Iran, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates. Under international law, specifically the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), a nation cannot unilaterally declare international waters or the sovereign territory of other nations as its own. Trump’s assertion, accompanied by a map that reportedly circles portions of Iranian, Omani, and Emirati land and sea, lacks any basis in established international legal frameworks. It represents a form of ‘cartographic aggression’ that ignores the sovereignty of regional states and the complexities of maritime law. By attempting to rebrand a critical global shipping lane as domestic territory, the administration is engaging in rhetoric that risks escalating tensions in an already volatile region, while simultaneously creating confusion regarding the status of international transit rights.
Source: Truth Social, August 18, 2026.
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