(SeaPRwire) – By: Julian Holbrooke
Donald Trump’s Truth Social post claiming the Strait of Hormuz as new US territory is not just a random crazy tweet. It is a deliberate escalation that breaks every unwritten rule of Middle East geopolitics. Most analysts write it off as a delusional rant, just as Tehran did. That is a dangerous mistake. This move lays bare the complete collapse of the US-Iran negotiation framework. It also exposes how willing Trump is to throw long-standing US alliances under the bus for political gain.
The official facts on the record are unambiguous. The two-month peace negotiation window between Washington and Tehran expired on Monday. On Tuesday, Trump posted his territorial claim to Truth Social. He shared a map of the strait with an area circled and labeled “New territory of the United States”. He followed up minutes later with a confirmation that no talks are ongoing or scheduled. He stated the US naval blockade of Iran remains in full force and effect. He also claimed all water mines have been removed or detonated, so the strait is open for transit. A day earlier, he threatened to “bomb the sh*t out of” US ally Oman if it got in his way. The official Iranian response came quickly. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi condemned the claim as delusions and warned Iran would correct them. He even added a small, deliberate compliment: Trump correctly wrote the name of the eternal Persian Gulf, a nod to rumors Trump planned to rebrand it the Arab Gulf.
The public narrative hides the core geopolitical fight at play. This is not a random rant from an unhinged president. It is a calculated move to advance US negotiating positions. The core dispute here has nothing to do with formal territorial claims. It is over who has the right to collect tolls for commercial transit through the strait. Iran has spent weeks negotiating a joint governance mechanism with Oman. The two sides confirmed they reached a full understanding on letting Iran collect permanent tolls for safe passage. The US has flat out ruled out accepting this demand. It says it will keep blocking Iranian ports indefinitely until Iran drops the claim entirely. Trump’s territorial declaration is a blatant legal workaround. If the strait is classified as US territory, Washington can ban any Iranian toll collection by default. It also sends a clear warning to Oman: any side deal with Tehran will not be tolerated. The “delusional” label from Tehran is just political theater for domestic audiences. Iranian leaders understand exactly what Trump’s move is meant to achieve.
Washington’s half-century of regional hegemony relied on quiet alliances and indirect control. This move abandons that entire playbook for open territorial aggression. It will push Iran and Oman even closer together on shared strait governance. It will also encourage other regional powers to openly challenge US naval dominance. The geopolitical pendulum in the Gulf is already swinging away from unchallenged US control. This move only speeds that shift up.
Author bio: Julian Holbrooke, an overseas international relations analyst who contributes regularly to major European daily newspapers.