US president urges Americans to accept higher gasoline prices as war with Tehran and the blockade of the vital waterway continue

President Donald Trump has said he could declare the Strait of Hormuz a territory of the United States once Iran is defeated, while urging Americans to accept higher gasoline prices caused by the continuing conflict.

Speaking at a rally at a police academy in Garden City, New York, on Friday, Trump said the strategic waterway could eventually come under US control.

“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,” Trump said.

It was not immediately clear whether the remarks represented an official policy proposal or were intended as political rhetoric.

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi rejected Trump's comments, saying Tehran would not be intimidated and insisting that the Strait of Hormuz would remain under Iranian control and authority.

The conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran has now lasted for more than five months. The war began on February 28, with Washington and its allies stating that their objectives included ending Iran's nuclear program and weakening the Iranian government.

Iran subsequently responded with missile and drone attacks against US allies in the Middle East and imposed a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most strategically important shipping routes.

Before the conflict, roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments passed through the narrow waterway. The closure has contributed to major disruptions in global energy markets and rising fuel prices.

The United States responded by imposing its own naval blockade on Iranian ships and ports, creating a prolonged military and economic stalemate around the strait.

Addressing growing concerns about the impact on American consumers, Trump told the rally that US citizens would have to accept paying more for gasoline.

He described the higher prices as a necessary cost of preventing what he called “a very evil country” from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Trump also claimed that the United States now controlled access through the strategic waterway, saying that no ships could pass through the US blockade unless Washington allowed them to do so.

The rising cost of oil, gasoline and other energy supplies is expected to become a major political issue ahead of the US midterm elections in November.

During the same appearance, Trump dismissed reports about deteriorating living conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, a US aircraft carrier deployed to the Middle East.

Relatives of some service members have reportedly raised concerns about difficult conditions and declining mental health among personnel after the carrier spent nine months at sea. Reports have also emerged of alleged suicide attempts.

Trump rejected suggestions that the deployment had lasted too long, saying the carrier's time at sea was “not nearly enough.” He confirmed that the USS Abraham Lincoln would eventually be replaced by another, “very similar” vessel.