Donald Trump has issued another statement regarding the Iran conflict, this time focusing on the Strait of Hormuz. Following renewed tensions between Washington and Tehran, Iran said the strategically important waterway would remain closed until “stability and calm” were restored. Trump, however, said the United States could eventually take control of the route.
Donald Trump said the US should control the Strait of Hormuz and get paid for it
During a July 13 phone interview on Fox News’ Fox & Friends, Trump said the United States could eventually take control of the Strait of Hormuz. He also said the country should be compensated for protecting the strategically important waterway.
“We’re going to keep the strait, and we’ll probably run it,” he said (via Reuters). “We’ll become the guardian of the strait. Maybe we’ll call it the guardian angel of the strait. And we should be reimbursed for that.”
Trump continued by saying, “We’re going to guard it. We’re going to get paid for guarding it, a lot of money. We’re going to be reimbursed, because the other nations are very wealthy. They’re on our side, and we can’t be expected to do that for nothing.”
Despite a recent ceasefire agreement, the two countries exchanged military strikes over the weekend. Iran claimed it had successfully targeted U.S. military facilities across the Gulf.
Trump responded by saying, “We had a deal. It was a done deal, and then they broke it. They always break it. We’ve had 10 deals with these people, and so we’re just going to hit them very hard.”
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said normal operations in the Strait of Hormuz would resume only if the United States ended its military operations in the region. They also warned that “continued interference could lead to greater incidents in the global oil and gas sector.”
