Trump says he will declare Hormuz US territory ‘pretty soon’; Iran rejects claim

South Korea's chief trade negotiator has been dismissed from his post, officials said on Saturday, as Seoul faces mounting tariff pressure from the United States amid a series of unresolved bilateral trade issues.

Yeo Han-koo was notified of his dismissal by the Ministry of Personnel Management on Friday, an official at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said, without elaborating on the reason for the decision, reports Yonhap news agency.

The dismissal comes at a sensitive time for bilateral trade relations, as Seoul faces growing U.S. pressure to accelerate its investment commitments under a bilateral tariff deal and a dispute over fines against U.S.-listed e-commerce giant Coupang over a personal data breach.

Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained at just 17% of the pre-conflict average over the past seven days, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) centre.

Only 151 vessels entered or exited the strategic waterway during the period, a slight improvement from the previous week, when traffic stood at just 4% of pre-war levels.

The UKMTO recorded 56 reports of damage to vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and nearby waters since the US-Iran war began on February 28. The figure does not appear to include two attacks reported on Thursday involving vessels affiliated with Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC).

The Southern Omani route, a temporary alternative corridor, remains the highest-risk area, accounting for 16 of 18 projectile strikes reported by UKMTO since July 6.

The US naval blockade continues to prevent ships from travelling to or from Iranian ports, both inside and outside the Strait. Despite the restrictions, one Iranian-flagged vessel was reported entering and another leaving the waterway during the past seven days.

Panama- and Liberia-flagged vessels were the most common, with 12 ships each making the crossing. No US-flagged vessels were recorded.

Product tankers, which typically transport refined petroleum products, remained the most common vessel type using the contested waterway.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi stressed Saturday that the Strait of Hormuz "will remain Iranian", after US President Donald Trump said he would "soon" declare the waterway part of American territory.

"The Strait of Hormuz has been Iranian, is Iranian, and will remain Iranian," Gharibabadi said on X, adding that the route "will be opened and closed only at Iran's command".

Trump had said Friday that after the United States defeats Iran, "pretty soon I'll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States".

ADNOC confirmed that one of its vessels was attacked while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Friday evening, August 14. No injuries were reported and the situation has been brought under control.

In a statement, ADNOC stressed the importance of protecting the safety and wellbeing of seafarers, while safeguarding freedom of navigation and maritime security.

The company urged the public to rely only on official sources for information and avoid circulating rumours or unverified reports.

"Strait of Hormuz cannot be seized by tweet or election speech": Iran hits back at Trump's 'US territory' remark

Tehran [Iran], August 15 : Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi on Friday rejected US President Donald Trump's remarks that he would declare the Strait of Hormuz "a territory of the United States" after defeating Iran, saying the strategic waterway "cannot be seized by tweet" or military force.

In an X post, Gharibabadi said Iran "neither fears threats nor cowers before displays of power", asserting that the Strait of Hormuz "has been Iranian, is Iranian, and will remain Iranian".

"Trump has said that after Iran's defeat, he will soon declare the Strait of Hormuz as US territory! The Strait of Hormuz cannot be seized by tweet, nor by aircraft carrier, nor by issuing an order, nor by an election speech. Iran neither fears threats nor cowers before displays of power," Gharibabadi said.

"Once and for all, accept the reality: up to this point, you have suffered strategic and heavy defeats; the Strait of Hormuz has been Iranian, is Iranian, and will remain Iranian; 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 cease your fanciful delusions, Iran will continue to enforce the blockade," he added.

His remarks came after Trump, speaking at a rally in Long Island, said he planned to declare the Strait of Hormuz US territory after the conclusion of the war with Iran.

Trump dismissed concerns over the mental health and living conditions of crew aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, saying the aircraft carrier’s nine-month deployment was “not nearly enough”.

Trump confirmed the ship will soon be replaced by another carrier as the US remains locked in a standoff with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz and its nuclear programme.

Reports have cited deteriorating conditions and several suicide attempts among crew members, prompting calls from Democratic lawmakers for an investigation. The Navy said a small number of mental health cases had been treated without loss of life.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Friday (local time) that its forces had redirected 62 commercial vessels, disabled three, and boarded two others while enforcing the US blockade against Iran in the Arabian Sea.

CENTCOM stated that the actions were taken to ensure compliance with the blockade.

"A US Sailor directs an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter during nighttime flight operations aboard the guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton (CG 59) as the ship sails in the Arabian Sea and enforces the U.S. blockade against Iran. As of Aug. 14, CENTCOM forces have redirected 62 commercial vessels, disabled 3 and boarded 2 to ensure compliance," CENTCOM said.

The development comes amid ongoing tensions between the US and Iran as both countries continue to stake claims of control over the Strait of Hormuz.

Stock markets retreated in sparse summer trading Friday, with the uncertain outlook for the Middle East war and the US economy prompting investor caution ahead of the weekend.

Oil prices turned higher and investors braced for further volatility as US and Iranian officials insisted on control of the Strait of Hormuz, which has been largely shut to tanker traffic by Iran since the US and Israeli launched strikes nearly six months ago.

On Wall Street, where the S&P 500 hit a new record high on Thursday, stocks slipped into negative territory, and most European indexes ended lower after a mixed showing in Asia.

Weaker than expected US retail sales raised new questions about the prospects for the world's biggest economy.

Total US retail sales were down 0.6 percent in July from the previous month, at $763.6 billion, while a new US consumer sentiment survey by the University of Michigan showed confidence dropped by around eight percent in August, ending two months of gains.

Trump said he would "soon" declare the Strait of Hormuz waterway part of US territory after defeating Iran.

"After we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly defeated - pretty soon I'll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States," he said with a chuckle during a political rally at a police academy in New York state.

"It's true," he added.

Trump, together with Israel, launched a war against Iran on February 28 with the stated aims of ending the country's controversial nuclear program and sparking a popular uprising.

However, Iran struck back by establishing de facto control over much of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital passageway for large amounts of global energy and other commodity shipping.

The United States remains locked in a stalemate with Iran over the strait, with Iran denying access to much of the civilian shipping and the US Navy mounting a blockade of Iranian ports in an attempt to cripple its economy.

"We have the blockade. No ships get through unless we want them to," Trump the cheering crowd of supporters and police.

Day 164: Iran demands faster US exit from Middle East

Day 163: 2 ADNOC vessels attacked in Hormuz; no injuries

Day 162: Trump says US has ‘total control’ of Strait of Hormuz

Day 161: Tehran: Hormuz stays shut as US-Iran diplomacy push continues

Day 160: Tehran reshuffles military

Day 159: Netanyahu rejects Gaza plan

Day 158: Trump says Iran can’t ‘go on much longer’

Day 157: Iran says Oman deal alone won’t reopen Hormuz