Trump says will ‘soon’ declare Hormuz Strait U.S. territory
The US administration stated it would "soon" declare the Strait of Hormuz a US territory once the ongoing conflict with Iran concludes, citing the naval blockade currently controlling shipping through it.
The Strait of Hormuz has remained effectively restricted to routine commercial shipping since the West Asia conflict began in early 2026, disrupting global energy trade.
Iran's government rejected the claim, asserting continued sovereignty over the waterway and stating that passage remains subject to Iranian regulation.
The episode has renewed attention on the international legal regime governing straits used for global navigation, and on the energy security exposure of large oil-importing economies including India.
The Strait of Hormuz — Geography and Chokepoint Status
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow maritime passage linking the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the wider Arabian Sea, flanked by Iran to the north and Oman's Musandam Peninsula to the south. It is the principal maritime exit route for crude oil and liquefied natural gas produced by Gulf states including Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar.
Key Details
- Narrowest width: approximately 21-29 nautical miles depending on the measurement point, with navigable shipping lanes only about 2 nautical miles wide in each direction.
- Roughly a fifth to a quarter of global seaborne oil trade has historically transited the Strait in a typical year, making it the world's most significant oil chokepoint.
- Both Iran and Oman claim territorial-sea jurisdiction over parts of the Strait; Oman has ratified UNCLOS while Iran has signed but not ratified it.
A unilateral declaration converting the Strait into sovereign US territory would apply to a waterway that already falls within the territorial seas of two other recognised coastal states, making the claim legally distinct from ordinary military or naval presence.
UNCLOS and the Transit Passage Regime for International Straits
The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 1982, in Part III (Articles 34-45), created a special "transit passage" regime for straits used for international navigation, distinct from the more restrictive "innocent passage" that applies to an ordinary territorial sea. Under transit passage, vessels and aircraft of all states may pass through continuously and expeditiously, and coastal states may not suspend this right, unlike innocent passage which coastal states can suspend for security reasons.
Key Details
- UNCLOS defines the territorial sea as extending 12 nautical miles from the baseline and the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) up to 200 nautical miles, within which the transit passage regime for straits operates.
- Articles 44-45 explicitly prohibit bordering states from hampering or suspending transit passage through straits like Hormuz, Malacca, and Gibraltar.
- Neither the United States nor Iran has ratified UNCLOS, though the US recognises most of its provisions, including transit passage, as customary international law.
Both Iran's wartime restriction of shipping and a hypothetical US territorial claim over the Strait sit in tension with the transit passage framework, which treats Hormuz as an international waterway that no single power may unilaterally close or annex.
India's Energy Security and Chokepoint Dependence
Energy security, a recurring GS3 theme, concerns a country's ability to secure uninterrupted access to affordable energy supplies. India, the world's third-largest oil importer, has historically sourced a large share of its crude, LNG, and LPG through the Strait of Hormuz, making chokepoint disruptions there a direct economic vulnerability.
Key Details
- Before the ongoing conflict restricted passage, roughly 45% of India's crude oil imports, about half its LNG imports, and around 90% of its LPG imports moved through the Strait of Hormuz.
- India has since diversified routes and suppliers, and government sources report about 70% of India's crude imports are now routed outside the Strait, up from around 55% earlier, with crude now sourced from roughly 40 countries.
- India's average daily crude requirement is estimated at approximately 5.5 million barrels.
A prolonged closure or contested sovereignty dispute over the Strait sustains upward pressure on global oil and LPG prices and shipping costs, reinforcing India's ongoing policy push to diversify crude sourcing and expand strategic petroleum reserves.
- Strait of Hormuz narrowest width: approximately 21-29 nautical miles.
- UNCLOS territorial sea limit: 12 nautical miles; EEZ limit: 200 nautical miles.
- UNCLOS Part III (Articles 34-45) establishes the transit passage regime for international straits.
- Pre-conflict share of India's Hormuz-route imports: ~45% of crude, ~50% of LNG, ~90% of LPG.
- Post-diversification share of India's crude imports now routed outside the Strait: ~70%.
- India's daily crude oil requirement: approximately 5.5 million barrels; India is the world's third-largest oil importer.