Fact Check: Did Trump announce Iran's surrender of Strait of Hormuz in a social media post?
WASHINGTON, DC: After President Donald Trump claimed the Strait of Hormuz as a territory of the United States, a rumor began circulating on social media claiming that Trump announced Iran’s surrender of the vital strait in a social media post. The claim has sparked mockery and criticism from online users, prompting a fact-check.
Claim: Donald Trump announced Iran surrendered the Strait of Hormuz
The rumor spread in the form of a screenshot claiming to show a post by the president on his official Truth Social handle.
The alleged post read, “Iran has just completely SURRENDERED the Straight of Hormuz, which is now U.S. territory. I personally wish to thank War Secretary Pete Hegseth, who masterfully subdued the barbarians. Americans, feel free to move into the newly claimed land! Praise be to Allah! President DJT.”
The post has garnered tens of thousands of views as of this writing, with the comments indicating that many believe the claim to be true, while others called for verification.
Fact Check: Donald Trump made no such post
However, the screenshot is fake and fabricated, as Trump did not make any such post on any of his social media handles.
A search on Truth Social accounts and other commentary accounts that automatically archive all his posts did not yield any results matching the words in the screenshot.
There is also no such post in any of the president’s other handles, including Facebook or X.
Also, the claim that Iran surrendered the strait is baseless, and there are no official announcements, statements, or updates from the White House, Pentagon, or CENTCOM, which, if true, would have been widely covered by prominent news media outlets.
Additionally, the account that posted the fabricated post has made similar screenshots of fake Trump posts for the sake of engagement.
Donald Trump claims control of the Strait of Hormuz
The claim surfaced after Trump recently shared a map labeling the strategic waterway “NEW US TERRITORY” after previously saying that he wanted to formally declare it part of the United States.
He also asserted that the US has total control of the strait and the American naval blockade will continue to remain in force.
Trump’s post follows his earlier proposal to make the strait a US territory after what he called an American takeover of control over the waterway and said that the US will become the “Guardian of the Hormuz Strait.”
