President Asserts Sovereignty Over Strategic Waterway
US President Donald Trump has described the Strait of Hormuz as "American territory" during a recent public address. The remarks were made at a campaign rally held in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on August 22, 2026. During the event, Trump sought support for Republican Senate candidate Darlene Graham ahead of a Tuesday runoff election.
While discussing foreign policy and regional conflicts, the President referred to the strategically important waterway and declared it to be under US control. He stated, "It's an American territory," without providing any legal or territorial basis for the assertion. The claim marks a reiteration of previous statements regarding the status of the strait, which connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
Trump did not elaborate on the historical treaties, international law, or military actions that would substantiate such a designation. The Strait of Hormuz is a critical global energy chokepoint through which a significant portion of the world's oil supply passes. No other government officials or legal experts were cited in the remarks to support the characterization of the waterway as US territory.
Statements on Iranian Nuclear Capabilities
In addition to his comments on the Strait of Hormuz, Trump reiterated that Iran would never be permitted to acquire nuclear weapons. He framed the situation as an urgent necessity for national security, suggesting that diplomatic efforts were driven by Iran's desire for a deal.
"They wanna make a deal so badly," Trump said while discussing Iran. He then shifted focus to the nuclear issue, stating, "I hate to do this, but we're gonna have to take a little detour down to the Islamic Republic of Iran, and we're gonna have to put out the nuclear weapons stuff because they're gonna have a nuclear weapon and we cannot let them have a nuclear weapon."
The President claimed that previous US military actions had effectively neutralized the threat. "We went down and we stopped them. They'll never ha[ve one]," he added, according to reports of the speech. Trump asserted that these actions had severely weakened Iran's military leadership, infrastructure, and defense capabilities. He suggested that the conflict with Iran had disrupted his domestic economic agenda, implying that attention must be diverted from internal policy matters to address the perceived external threat.
Rally Context and Political Objectives
The remarks were delivered in the context of a domestic political campaign. The rally in Myrtle Beach was organized to bolster support for Darlene Graham, who was facing a runoff election. Trump's speech combined foreign policy assertions with domestic political appeals, linking national security postures with his broader administrative narrative.
Observers noted that the President used the platform to highlight his administration's hardline stance on Iran while simultaneously addressing concerns about the impact of ongoing conflicts on domestic priorities. The comments regarding the Strait of Hormuz and Iranian nuclear capabilities were presented as evidence of decisive leadership, though no independent verification of the claimed military outcomes was provided during the speech.
Implications for Regional Dynamics
The declaration that the Strait of Hormuz is American territory has drawn attention due to the waterway's strategic importance in global commerce and energy markets. International law generally governs such passages under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which designates many international straits as transit passages for all nations.
Trump's characterization contrasts with established diplomatic norms regarding sovereign claims over international waters. The President did not outline how this designation would be enforced or what legal framework supports it. His comments come amid heightened tensions in the region, where he has previously warned against Iranian nuclear ambitions.
The administration has not released a formal policy document or legal brief clarifying the new stance on the Strait of Hormuz. The remarks remain isolated to Trump's public statements at the South Carolina rally and have not been accompanied by official government declarations from the State Department or other relevant agencies regarding territorial claims in the region.