President Donald Trump stated on Friday that the United States has established an effective blockade over the Strait of Hormuz and announced intentions to declare the international shipping corridor an American territory following ongoing military operations against Iran.

Trump’s Announcement

Speaking to an audience at an event in Garden City, Trump addressed US military engagements in the Middle East, domestic energy prices, and foreign policy operations involving both Iran and Venezuela.

“After we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly defeated, pretty soon I’ll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States,” Trump said. “Essentially, that’s what it is. We have the blockade. No ships get through unless we want them to.”

Link to Domestic Economic Conditions

During the address, Trump linked international military operations to domestic economic conditions and fuel costs, rejecting criticism from political opponents regarding inflation and living costs.

“The Democrats saying that is a hoax, because they’re the ones that cause the affordability. We’re bringing the prices way down. Look at what’s happening. Coming way down,” Trump said.

Trump also referenced past operations involving Venezuela, stating the outcome led to increased oil access for the United States.

“Venezuela was a one-day war, and now we work great with them. We’ve taken in millions and millions of barrels of oil. But we’re doing really good. We’re doing good in every way,” Trump said. “You know, I built the military, and now I used it a little bit more than I wanted to, frankly, but that’s okay, because we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon.”

Original reporting: Tampa Free Press — read the source article.