From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, August 18, 2026
Trump posts image depicting Strait of Hormuz as US territory
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleNava Freiberg is The Times of Israel's deputy diplomatic correspondent.
United States President Donald Trump posts an image on his Truth Social account showing the Strait of Hormuz as a new US territory.
The post, bearing no caption, comes days after the US leader vowed he would “soon” declare the vital waterway a US territory, as Washington and Tehran struggle to reach a deal to end their nearly six-month conflict.
It remains unclear how serious Trump is about the move, as he has repeatedly issued sweeping threats against Tehran during the negotiation period that were not ultimately carried out.
New media post from Donald J. Trump
( TS: Aug 18 2026, 7:09 AM ET ) pic.twitter.com/MXZtcwYrhB
— Commentary Donald J. Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) August 18, 2026
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