Topline
Iran pushed backmost connected President Donald Trump’s insistence that the Strait of Hormuz would go a U.S. territory, accusing Trump of “fanciful delusions” and declaring that the strait will stay nether Iran’s control.
President Donald Trump departs aft delivering remarks astatine the David S. Mack Center for Training and Intelligence connected August 14, 2026 successful Garden City, New York. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
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Key Facts
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told Trump successful an X post connected Saturday to “once and for all, judge the reality: you person suffered strategical and dense defeats; the Strait of Hormuz has been Iranian, is Iranian and will stay Iranian,” accusing Trump of “fanciful delusions.”
Gharibabadi’s comments travel aft Trump said Friday during a rally successful New York, “after we decorativeness defeating Iran . . . beautiful soon I’ll beryllium declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States.”
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei besides appeared to condemn Trump’s comments erstwhile he quoted Fyodor Dostoevsky’s “The Brothers Karamazov” successful a station connected X earlier Saturday, writing, “The man who lies to himself and listens to his ain dishonesty comes to specified a walk that he cannot separate the truth wrong him, aliases astir him, and truthful loses each respect for himself and for others.”
The conflict complete who controls the Strait of Hormuz is simply a awesome sticking constituent betwixt the U.S. and Iran successful negotiations to extremity the war—both sides declare they power the strait, while Iran has continued to onslaught vessels successful the cardinal lipid waterway and the U.S. has continued blocking ships coming successful and retired of Iran.
The United Arab Emirates said Saturday Iran attacked a state-owned lipid vessel successful the strait.
Tangent
Trump successful his reside connected Friday urged Americans to judge higher state prices arsenic a consequence of the Iran war, telling the crowd, “a mini small spot much for your gasoline” is worthy it to forestall “a very evil country” from obtaining a atomic weapon. Trump made the comments arsenic state was up 29% from a twelvemonth ago, to $4.08/gallon, connected Friday, according to AAA.
Key Background
Trump’s escalated rhetoric toward Iran Friday is portion of a shape of declaring the warfare to beryllium nearing an end, only to frighten aliases motorboat much attacks. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Newsmax connected Thursday that much economical penalties against Iran would beryllium imposed soon. Another motion the U.S. is pouring much resources into the warfare is the USS Abraham Lincoln’s prolonged deployment successful the Middle East. The vessel near its location larboard successful San Diego successful November and has spent much than 200 consecutive days astatine oversea without making a larboard call. Family members of sailors and lawmakers person raised concerns astir deteriorating intelligence wellness among sailors connected board, vulnerable conditions, and deficiency of food, basal supplies and sanitation, conditions Trump and subject officials person denied. Trump connected Friday said the deployment hasn’t lasted “nearly agelong enough” and denied families’ concerns, angering immoderate Democrats who person pressed the management for answers astir the conditions connected committee and what they’re doing to amended them. The USS George Washington is reportedly en way to switch the ship, though it’s unclear erstwhile the sailors connected committee the USS Lincoln will return home.
further reading
Trump Says USS Lincoln Hasn’t Been Deployed ‘Nearly Long Enough’—Denies Families’ Concerns (Forbes)
Iran Says U.S. Must Meet Demands Before Strait Of Hormuz Reopens (Forbes)
Economic Optimism Falls For First Time In 3 Months—As Republican Sentiment Nears 2-Year Low (Forbes)
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