Energy · Hormuz blockadeTrump Says He'll Declare Strait of Hormuz U.S. Territory as Blockade TightensAired August 15, 2026 at 5:26 AM UTCWritten September 7, 2026 at 9:22 PM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:00On August 14th, President Donald Trump0:02said he will soon declare the Strait of0:04Hormuz a US territory and claimed no0:06ships get through unless the United0:08States wants them to. The waterway0:10operates under international law with0:12free navigation before the war and0:14normally carries about 20% of world0:16energy.0:17>> [music]0:17>> Iran responded the Strait cannot be0:18seized by tweet while Saudi Arabia and0:20other regional actors are assessing0:22implications. What legal mechanism could0:24support a territorial declaration has0:26not been detailed.0:33The claim would [music] assert American0:35sovereignty over the world's most0:36critical oil choke point where a0:38disruption moves prices far beyond the0:40region. The Defense Secretary warned0:42August 14th the US Navy can sustain a0:44blockade of Iran indefinitely by0:45rotating ships describing it as a wall0:47of steel no other Navy can match with0:49Iran unable to get in or out and no0:51timeline given holding as long [music]0:53as needed. The Treasury Secretary has0:54threatened unprecedented economic0:56measures to press Iran to reopen the0:58Strait. Conditions in the Strait are0:59described [music] as severely restricted1:01and dangerous despite claims it is open1:03with parallel Houthi threats and attacks1:05[music] near the Bab al-Mandab and Red1:07Sea cutting alternative routes and1:09raising risks of regionalization. The1:11United Nations warns Yemen risks a1:13return [music] to full-scale civil war.1:15Traffic has collapsed. Pre-war levels1:17were 130 to 140 vessels per day. [music]1:19Two Adino vessels were attacked Thursday1:21evening while transiting with no1:23injuries reported. Kepler reported 131:25vessels Thursday versus 9 Wednesday1:27while second marine tracking reported 81:29Thursday.1:29>> [music]1:29>> Direct conflict on the Thursday figure.1:31Traffic is below the monthly average and1:34an [music] analyst citing Reuters data1:36from the prior day estimated only about1:38a quarter to a [music] third of normal1:39flow is getting through. About 1/5 of1:42world energy normally moves through this1:43single passage [music]1:44which is why control claims carry global1:46economic weight. Diplomacy is stuck.1:49Oman mediated talks has stalled 60 days1:52after a memorandum of understanding and1:54are described as at an impasse and1:56inherently unpredictable. The USS1:58Abraham Lincoln has been deployed since2:00December,2:01>> [music]2:01>> extended about 9 months and 240 to 2502:04days without a port call. Families and2:06Democrats allege food [music] shortages,2:08plumbing failures, and deteriorating2:10mental health while the president and2:11defense secretary [music] dispute those2:12reports with the president saying2:14families are not concerned and the ship2:16is being replaced. The USS George2:17Washington is now en route from near2:19Malaysia to relieve it. Oil is up more2:21than 40% year-to-date, trading below $902:24and rising Friday. [music]2:26The International Energy Agency sees a2:281.8 million barrel per day shortfall2:30this quarter.2:31>> [music]2:31>> The US Energy Information Administration2:33forecasts Brent at $85 in the third2:36quarter easing to about $69.27.2:39While analysts [music] say even with a2:40deal normalization would take at least 62:42months and longer for refined products.2:44Pressure is compounding inside Iran,2:46which reports about a 14 million liter2:48daily petrol shortfall, [music]2:50and halted a fuel ration price increase2:52after hours over protest fears with2:54loadings halted at Kharg Island and a2:55leadership reshuffle underway. Inflation2:58is cited at 90% [music] in this2:59reporting against over 130% reported3:02earlier. Military costs are asymmetric3:05with MQ-9 Reapers at 30 [music] to 503:08million dollars and 25 reportedly shot3:10down versus Shahed drones at 30 to3:1250,000 dollars. US operations since3:14February [music] 28th involved tens of3:16thousands of personnel with 18 dead and3:18at least 450 wounded. Unresolved is what3:21legal path could support a territorial3:22declaration,3:23>> [music]3:23>> how a claim of total control squares3:25with the sharp collapse in traffic and3:27recent attacks on vessels, what3:29operational plan and timeline [music]3:30back sustaining the blockade by3:31rotation, and what unprecedented3:33economic measures are threatened,3:35>> [music]3:35>> and whether and when the stalled3:37Oman-mediated track will resume.3:39Like and follow for more stories that3:41matter.Explore with HeyDexThe shortThe short ↗