In a post on his X account, Gharibabadi said Trump has claimed that, following what the US president has called Iran’s defeat, he would soon declare the Strait of Hormuz “a territory of the United States.”
Gharibabadi dismissed the claim, saying the waterway could not be seized through social media posts, an aircraft carrier, an executive order or an election speech.
“The Strait of Hormuz cannot be seized by a tweet, nor by an aircraft carrier, neither by issuing an order nor by an election speech,” he wrote.
“Iran is neither afraid of threats nor intimidated by displays of power,” the Iranian diplomat added.
Gharibabadi then called on Washington to accept the reality of its defeats, emphasizing Iran’s longstanding claim over the strategic waterway.
“Accept the reality once and for all: So far, you have suffered heavy and strategic defeats; the Strait of Hormuz has been, is, and will remain Iranian,” he reminded the US.
“This strait will only be closed and opened under Iran’s command, and as long as you do not accept the reality of defeat and stop indulging in delusions, Iran will continue imposing the blockade,” Gharibabadi warned.
His remarks came after Trump threatened to turn the Strait of Hormuz into US territory, a claim that appeared to treat the strategically vital waterway as though its status could simply be changed by presidential declaration.
Speaking at a police academy on Long Island, New York, on Friday, Trump said he would “pretty soon” designate the waterway as a US territory.
The Strait of Hormuz is a crucial chokepoint for global energy trade, with roughly one-fifth of the world’s seaborne oil supplies typically passing through it.