“They want to make a deal so badly, we don’t even know if we want [a deal] because I view the Strait

US President Donald Trump has called the Strait of Hormuz “American territory” as tensions with Iran rise, while warning that Tehran must never be allowed to get a nuclear weapon. His remarks came as Washington said it had “total control” over the strategic waterway, drawing a sharp response from Iranian officials and adding to fears of a wider regional crisis.

Speaking at a rally in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Trump said the United States could not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon. “We cannot let them have a nuclear weapon; we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon, or you will see some very bad things,” he said. Trump said Iran wanted to reach a deal with Washington but questioned whether the US would agree to one. “They want to make a deal so badly, we don’t even know if we want [a deal] because I view the Strait of Hormuz as an American territory right now, it’s an American territory,” he said. Trump recently announced what he called the “most crushing economic operation ever taken” against Iran. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Trump’s claim would be corrected either by events or by Iran.

He also made a strong claim about the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy supplies. He also warned countries that provide financial, business or government support to Tehran of what he described as “tremendous economic consequences.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Tehran would not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until the United States meets a 14-point memorandum of understanding.