Iran Dismisses Trump Idea as 'Fanciful Delusion'

Tehran on Saturday dismissed as fantasy President Trump's idea to one day declare the Strait of Hormuz "a territory of the United States." NBC News reports Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi wrote that the narrow oil chokepoint "cannot be seized with a tweet" and would be opened or closed only on Iran's orders. His comments came in response to ones Trump made during a Friday night appearance at a Long Island, New York, police academy. "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," he said.

The Guardian notes that "the seriousness of Trump's remark, and whether it signaled a new policy position for his administration, was not immediately clear." Regardless, it spurred a response from Gharibabadi early Saturday on X:

• "The Strait of Hormuz cannot be seized by tweet, nor by aircraft carrier, nor by issuing an order, nor by an election speech. Iran neither fears threats nor cowers before displays of power. Once and for all, accept the reality: up to this point, you have suffered strategic and heavy defeats; the Strait of Hormuz has been Iranian, is Iranian, and will remain Iranian; this strait will only be closed and opened under Iran's command, and as long as you do not accept the reality of defeat and cease your fanciful delusions, Iran will continue to enforce the blockade."