BANDAR ABBAS, IRAN – AUGUST 10: Two youths take a seat on the shoreline as ships are viewed anchored within the Strait of Hormuz on August 10, 2026 off the flit of Bandar Abbas, Iran. (Photo by Ali Saeedi/Getty Photos)
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Iran rebuffed U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that the Strait of Hormuz would soon change into U.S. territory, as a ship within the an critical waterway became once reportedly struck and negotiations with Tehran looked no nearer to resuming.
“The Strait of Hormuz has been Iranian, is Iranian, and will remain Iranian; this strait will only be closed and opened under Iran’s command,” Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi stated in a publish on X unhurried Friday. “The Strait of Hormuz cannot be seized by tweet, nor by aircraft carrier, nor by issuing an order, nor by an election speech.”
Earlier, Trump claimed that after the U.S. defeats Iran, “pretty soon I’ll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States.”
Trump, known to quote the phrase “to the victor belong the spoils,” has floated the likelihood that the U.S. might possibly well impose tolls within the strait once the war ends, even though he later dropped the postulate. The strait became once an open, un-tolled worldwide waterway sooner than the U.S. and Israel started the war on Feb. 28 by launching strikes against Iran.
Iran’s foreign minister became once quoted as asserting the two facets construct “not have anything like a ceasefire.”
“No negotiations have been held between us and the United States at this time,” Iranian news outlet Shahrara News quoted Seyed Abbas Araghchi as asserting early Saturday. “Qatar and Pakistan are exchanging messages between the parties and are in contact with us, but this does not mean negotiations.”
Individually, the United Kingdom Maritime Replace Operations Centre (UKMTO) — an group backed by the British Navy — stated Saturday it obtained a verified document of a bulk carrier “being struck by an unknown projectile which has hit the hull.”
Following the breakdown of an intervening time ceasefire in June, transport within the strait has over and over come below fireplace from Iranian projectiles and the U.S. has struck Iranian targets as allotment of its blockade of Iranian ports.
A ‘runt small bit extra’ for gasoline
Amid the military and diplomatic stalemate, vitality prices live elevated when when put next with pre-war ranges.
Trump stated Friday that Americans would need to tolerate moderately higher gasoline prices whereas the U.S. punishes Iran.
“So for you to pay a tiny little bit more for your gasoline, just remember you’re doing it so that a very evil country cannot have, a country that really is the number one state sponsor of terror in the world,” Trump stated in his speech.
“We don’t want to have them have a nuclear weapon. So remember that, when you have to pay a little bit more, you’re at four dollars,” Trump stated.
GARDEN CITY, NEW YORK – AUGUST 14: U.S. President Donald Trump departs after handing over remarks at the David S. Mack Heart for Coaching and Intelligence on August 14, 2026 in Backyard Metropolis, Current York. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Photos)
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The life like trace of a gallon of gasoline across the U.S. became once $4.07 on Saturday, in step with the American Automobile Association, higher than the year-within the past life like trace of $3.15.
The U.S. is additionally placing forward a no longer easy sanctions regime against Iran.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated the U.S. will likely be applying financial measures “that have never been seen on Iran.”
“It will be a combination of economic isolation like the world has never seen before, and the continued blockade in the Strait of Hormuz that will keep anything from going in or out of the Iranian ports,” Bessent stated in a Newsmax interview Thursday night, with out elaborating further.
Indefinite naval blockade
Bessent’s comments came as U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly stated unhurried Thursday that the military can retain a naval blockade of Iran going “indefinitely.” The Navy will rotate ships internal and out “as we have, and we’ll continue to,” Hegseth told reporters.
Media reviews like stated that the U.S. airplane carrier USS George Washington became once headed to substitute the united statesAbraham Lincoln, which has been deployed for further than 250 days within the Heart East. Its deployment had been anticipated to total in Could possibly.
The George Washington strike community departed Vietnam on Aug. 12, the Navy stated in an announcement.
Hegseth claimed that reviews about terrible prerequisites aboard the Lincoln, alongside side food shortages, declining morale and even attempts by sailors to soar overboard, were “completely misrepresented.”
After Hegseth’s comments, Ranking. Mike Levin, D-Calif., stated on X that he had sent a letter to Hegseth and performing Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao to explicit extreme issues about prerequisites aboard the Lincoln.
“The reports coming from military families and loved ones about the conditions aboard the USS Lincoln are simply unacceptable. Reports include concerns of moldy showers, broken toilets, lack of hot water, lack of access to fresh produce, and supply shortages,” the letter stated.
Sailors and Marines are additionally stated to love an “overwhelming workload,” which is contributing to “extreme fatigue and burnout,” it stated.
In a publish on X, U.S. Central Clarify stated that reviews alleging a brawl aboard the carrier were wrong, and that no service participants like died.
This came after Iranian media claimed on Tuesday that seven U.S. Navy personnel were killed and several other wounded “in a violent clash” on the Lincoln.
— CNBC’s Kevin Breuninger and Lim Hui Jie contributed to this document.
