(ATTN: UPDATES with more remarks, details in paras 5, 7-12)

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that he will declare the Strait of Hormuz a territory of the United States "pretty soon," asserting America's control of the crucial waterway through its naval blockade.

Trump made the remarks during a visit to a police academy in Garden City, New York, as disruptions to shipping through the strait, a key shipping route for oil, natural gas and other commodities, have continued amid the war in the Middle East, leaving energy prices high.

"After we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly defeated ... pretty soon, I will be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States," Trump said.

"We have the blockade. No ships get through unless we want them to," he added.

Trump did not elaborate on his plan to declare the strait a U.S. territory at a time when Tehran seeks to maintain control over the waterway, viewing the strait as a pivotal source of leverage in its negotiations with Washington, particularly ahead of the U.S. midterm elections in November.

The president said that though he used the U.S. military "a little bit more than I wanted to," the United States cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon.

He doubled down on his claim of success in the Iran war.

"We are likewise winning big with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Nobody has any idea how successful we are. They don't want to write it," he said, referring to some media outlets that have cast doubt over his claim about the war.

"Their leadership is gone," he added, noting, "There's nobody to negotiate with. It's a problem."

In a social media post on Wednesday, Trump said that the U.S. has "total" control over the Strait of Hormuz and will "keep it."

Tehran has reportedly said that the strait would remain closed until Washington agreed to its demands, including war reparations, the lifting of a U.S. naval blockade and the withdrawal of U.S. forces from locations around Iran.

South Korea and other countries have hoped for the full reopening of the strait as they rely heavily on the waterway for energy imports.

sshluck@yna.co.kr

(END)

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