US President Donald Trump on Friday posted a map on Truth Social depicting the Strait of Hormuz as “Trump Strait.”This comes after Trump reportedly rejected Iran’s seven-day framework offer for reopening the strait and resuming negotiations over its nuclear programme.According to The Washington Post, Trump vowed that Iran would never acquire a nuclear bomb, expressed scepticism that Tehran would meet his demands and said a renewed US bombing campaign remained likely.
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi had earlier said normal maritime passage through the Strait of Hormuz could be restored within seven days if Washington accepted Tehran’s conditions.Under the proposal, the US would lift its naval blockade of Iranian ports, waive sanctions on Iranian oil sales and observe a ceasefire that includes Lebanon.“If the necessary conditions are met, the strait can be reopened, a normal maritime passage restored within seven days. The choice now rests with the United States,” Araghchi said.“The seven-day timeline will start as soon as the United States accepts this plan,” he added.This is not the first time Trump has floated the idea of US control over the Strait of Hormuz. In August, he posted a map suggesting the waterway could become “new US territory”.Trump had also described the idea of declaring Hormuz a US territory as a “great idea”, arguing that Washington already controlled the strait through its blockade.“I think it’s a great idea. I mean, we control it with the blockade. I like the idea of declaring it a territory. We have total control over the Strait,” Trump said.He added that Iran could disrupt shipping by placing mines in the water, but claimed the US blockade had been effective.The Strait of Hormuz has emerged as one of Iran’s main sources of leverage in its confrontation with Washington.Before the war, about a fifth of the world’s traded oil and gas passed through the strategic waterway, according to the Washington Post report. Disruptions to shipping have affected energy markets and increased pressure on the Trump administration ahead of the US midterm elections.Iran’s proposal directly linked the reopening of the waterway to the lifting of the US blockade, sanctions relief and a renewed diplomatic process over its nuclear programme.