Iran issued a satirical response after US President Donald Trump again suggested declaring the Strait of Hormuz part of the United States. On August 19, 2026, Iran’s Hyderabad consulate in India posted a map of the United States on social media, coloring California blue and labeling it “the new territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

Trump shared a Truth Social image on Tuesday showing the strategic waterway circled and described as “new US territory.” The White House later reposted the image on its official X account. The article said the Iranian map was intended to highlight what Tehran viewed as the absurdity of unilaterally declaring territory part of another country.

Speaking at a New York police academy on Friday, Trump said Iran was losing badly and that he would soon declare the strait US territory after fully defeating Iran. He also said a US naval blockade effectively made the waterway American. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi rejected the claim, saying the strait could not be seized through posts, aircraft carriers, or orders.