U.S. President Donald Trump said yesterday (the 14th, local time) that he "will soon declare the Strait of Hormuz U.S. territory."

President Trump made the remarks during a speech in Nassau County, New York, claiming, "Essentially, yes, because we are blockading it."

President Trump emphasized, "No ship can pass through [the strait] unless we want them to."

While President Trump's remarks outwardly sound like a territorial claim over the Strait of Hormuz, they are interpreted as a claim that the United States holds practical control over the strait.

President Trump said, "We are doing really well [in the war with Iran]. We are doing well in every way."

He added, "Frankly, I used a little more military force than I wanted to, but that is okay, because we cannot let Iran have nuclear weapons."

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)