look news india
Amidst the increasing military tension in West Asia, US President Donald Trump has created a stir in the geopolitical circles of the whole world by making a very shocking and controversial claim. Trump has claimed that the US Navy has established full control over the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important oil transit sea route, and he now sees it as a “US Territory”. From sharing a map on social media to holding public rallies, Trump’s aggressive stance has shaken international maritime laws and global oil markets.
Trump’s big claim: ‘We have complete control over the Strait of Hormuz’
During his recent rallies and media briefings in South Carolina and New York, Donald Trump announced that the US now has ‘total control’ of this strategic waterway following the ongoing conflict with Iran and the US Naval Blockade.
Trump said that he is in favor of declaring it as an official American territory because the US Navy has taken the navigation under its protection by removing the mines laid in the waters there. He also claimed that due to his strict control, it is helping in controlling the prices of crude oil in the international market and Iran’s economy is in serious crisis.
Iran’s counterattack: ‘This claim of America is just an illusion’
This statement of Trump has drawn a sharp and aggressive reaction from Iran. Iranian officials and Foreign Ministry representatives strongly rejected Trump’s claims, calling them a “hollow illusion.”
Iran’s parliament and negotiators say the Strait of Hormuz is a sovereign watershed that borders Iran and Oman. Tehran has clarified that until the US fulfills its prior commitments, the movement of normal commercial vessels on this sea route will be controlled under its rules and safety standards. Iranian officials warned that it is illegal and unlawful for the US to declare any international waterway as its territory.
Why is the Strait of Hormuz so important for the global economy?
The ‘Strait of Hormuz’ connecting the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman is considered to be the world’s most important ‘Chokepoint’.
About 20 percent (one fifth) of the world’s seaborne crude oil trade passes through this narrow waterway. Major energy exporting countries like Saudi Arabia, Iraq, UAE, Kuwait and Qatar send most of their oil and natural gas (LNG) to Asian and European markets through this route. Any kind of military standoff or clash of territorial claims in the region could lead to a huge surge in global oil prices and an energy crisis.
Uncertainty over Oman’s mediation and negotiation efforts
On one hand, while Oman and regional countries are looking for diplomatic agreements to keep this waterway safe and open, on the other hand, the Trump administration has taken a tough stance and made it clear that America will not allow its naval security to be weakened at any cost.
Foreign affairs experts believe that Trump’s aggressive statement could be part of a strategy to create maximum psychological and economic pressure on Iran, so that Tehran can be forced to come to the negotiating table on American terms.