As the blockade holds, neighbours who join the Trump campaign will count as enemies in Tehran's eyes
At a South Carolina rally, Trump called the Strait of Hormuz American territory as US forces kept a blockade that redirected 68 commercial vessels. Tehran warned that neighbours joining the new sanctions campaign would count as enemies.
Geopolitics··Morning
In South Carolina, Trump called Hormuz American territory
On Friday at a rally in South Carolina, Donald Trump said he views the Strait of Hormuz as American territory right now, while US forces keep a military blockade of Iran's ports and shipping. US Central Command said on social media that American forces had redirected 68 commercial vessels to comply with the blockade. Trump had already threatened to declare the strait US territory, saying the blockade meant no ships get through unless Washington wants them to, and he posted a map labelling the waterway a new US territory. Roughly one-fifth of the world's seaborne oil supply normally passes through the channel between Iran and Oman. The two sides have not reached a peace deal as the war approaches its sixth month, and the administration is restricting Iran's access to the waterway to squeeze its oil income. Iran's deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, dismissed the remarks as delusions. At the same rally Trump also joked, late in the evening, about bombing Iran again.[1]
Bessent said other states are with Washington or against it
Iran's foreign ministry says the sanctions package Donald Trump announced this week reaches past Iran and binds the banks and firms of every country that deals with Tehran. Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei called the measures an assertion of sovereignty beyond national borders and warned that they point towards the complete erosion of sovereignty. Trump announced on Wednesday what he called the most crushing economic operation yet, threatening tremendous economic consequences for any country whose institutions do business with Tehran. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the sanctions regime would collapse Iran and that other states are either with Washington or against it. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi dismissed the measures, saying Iran had seen this film before. Peace talks are stalled, the US naval blockade of Iranian ports continues, and traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has nearly stopped: 4 commodity ships passed on Thursday.[2]
Speaking on IRIB, Rezaei said those who join the campaign would count as enemies
Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, addressed nearby countries through the state broadcaster IRIB on Saturday and said any that join the US economic campaign will be counted as enemies. Rezaei set out negotiation first, then an effort to separate neighbouring governments from the United States, and finally action against those that keep standing with Washington. The remarks followed Trump's announcement on 20 August of what he called the most crushing economic operation against Iran. Iran's foreign ministry has separately called the incoming measures a breach of the sovereignty of United Nations member states. Control of the Strait of Hormuz has remained the unresolved item since the memorandum signed in June failed to hold. The remarks rest on Iran's state broadcaster and carry no independently verified enforcement step.[3]
