By Staff Reporter
WASHINGTON — August 15, 2026: US President Donald Trump has said he intends to make the strategically important Strait of Hormuz a US territory “pretty soon” as Washington considers increased economic pressure on Iran to force an end to the ongoing conflict.
Iran has rejected the threat. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the Strait of Hormuz would remain Iranian and that Tehran would continue enforcing its blockade until the United States accepts defeat.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also said an agreement reached in Islamabad represented an “end of the war, not a ceasefire.” He accused the United States of violating the agreement, saying fighting resumed and there was therefore no 60-day ceasefire to extend.
Meanwhile, tensions have also escalated in the region. At least seven people were killed in an Israeli air attack on the southern Lebanese town of Ansar on Saturday, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency.
Separately, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that a bulk carrier was struck in its hull by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday evening.
The developments highlight the continuing volatility around the Strait, one of the world’s most strategically important waterways for global energy shipments.
