Trump Says He Will Soon Declare the Strait of Hormuz "U.S. Territory"
Listen to the story
US President Donald Trump has said he will soon declare the Strait of Hormuz "United States territory." He made the comment as tensions with Iran continue.
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula. It is one of the world's most important routes for oil shipments.
According to Trump, the declaration would come after the United States "defeats Iran." He did not explain what this would involve or how it might happen.
The dispute over the strait has been ongoing, and Trump's latest remarks suggest the issue remains a central part of US-Iran tensions.
It is not yet clear how such a declaration would work in practice, since the Strait of Hormuz has never been considered US territory and lies far from American shores.
The statement adds to a series of strong comments Trump has made about Iran in recent months. No further official details have been given by the White House.
Observers are watching closely, as any change involving the strait could affect global oil markets, since a large share of the world's oil passes through it daily.
The story is still developing, and more information may follow as tensions between the two countries continue.
Vocabulary10 words
- Strait
- a thin area of sea between two pieces of land
- declare
- to officially say something is true or will happen
- territory
- land or area that belongs to a country
- declaration
- an official public statement
- tensions
- a difficult situation between countries or groups
- waterway
- a path of water used for travel or trade
- shipments
- goods sent by ship or truck
- dispute
- a disagreement between two sides
- markets
- places or systems where goods are bought and sold
- observers
- people who watch and study events closely
Quiz
Answer key
1. Declare it as US territory 2. Defeating Iran 3. It is a major route for global oil shipments
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
US President Donald Trump has said he will soon _____ the Strait of Hormuz "United States territory." He made the comment as _____ with Iran continue.
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow _____ between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula. It is one of the world's most important routes for oil _____.
According to Trump, the _____ would come after the United States "defeats Iran." He did not explain what this would involve.
The _____ over the strait has been ongoing, and Trump's latest remarks suggest the issue remains central to US-Iran tensions.
It is not yet clear how such a declaration would work, since the strait has never been considered US _____.
Observers are watching closely, as any change could affect global oil _____, since a large share of the world's oil passes through it daily.