Senior US Official Clarifies: Trump's Comments on Strait of Hormuz Were a Joke

A senior US official at the White House stated that former US President Donald Trump was joking when he discussed his intention to declare the Strait of Hormuz "American territory." Media sources, citing the unnamed official, confirmed that Trump's remarks on the matter were made in jest. In response, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, Kazem Gharib Abadi, addressed the former US President's statements. Gharib Abadi, posting on "X," asserted that the Strait of Hormuz cannot be controlled "by a tweet," "by an aircraft carrier," "by issuing an order," or "by an election speech." He emphasized the United States' need to accept the geopolitical reality, affirming that the Strait "will not be closed or opened except by order of Iran."