Trump Labels Strait of Hormuz New US Territory

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday posted a map of the Strait of Hormuz on Truth Social, circling the strategic waterway and labeling it “New U.S. Territory”.

Trump had already said during a speech at a police academy on Long Island on Friday that he would “pretty soon” declare the strait US territory. He claimed that the United States controls access to the waterway and decides which ships are allowed to pass.

About one-fifth of the world’s seaborne oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz. At its narrowest point, the strait is 21 nautical miles (39 km) wide and lies within the territorial waters of both Oman and Iran.

Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, foreign commercial and military vessels have the right to navigate the strait. The United States is not a party to the convention but has traditionally regarded its provisions as binding under customary international law.

Trump cannot unilaterally make the strait US territory through executive action. The US Constitution gives Congress the authority to acquire and administer territories.

(guardian, bak)