On June 17, President Donald Trump announced the truce and said that a deal to achieve lasting peace was very close.

However, peace remains elusive, the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked, and mutual accusations of agreement violations persist.

Last week, Trump asserted that this important waterway will be “US territory very soon.” The president spoke on Friday at a massive rally in Long Island, New York, where he escalated his rhetoric against Tehran at a time when negotiations remain stalled.

“After we finish defeating Iran, which is being defeated very severely, I will very soon declare the Strait of Hormuz US territory, essentially. We have a blockade. No ship passes unless we want it to,” he emphasized.

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