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The chairman of the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee said Sunday that U.S. President Donald Trump should focus on his own safety rather than continue making what he called "endless bluffs" about seizing control of the Strait of Hormuz.
Ebrahim Azizi made the remarks in a post on social media, responding to Trump's recent statement that he intends to declare the strategic waterway U.S. territory.
In his post, Azizi referenced reports that Trump had switched planes inside a food truck while departing the NATO summit in Ankara, citing what Azizi described as an assassination threat from Iran.
"The U.S. president should worry about his own safety instead of his endless bluffs about the Strait of Hormuz, or he may have to hide in a food truck again," Azizi wrote.
The comments follow remarks Trump made a day earlier, in which he said the U.S. Navy was maintaining a full blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. "Once we've completely defeated Iran, I will soon declare the Strait of Hormuz U.S. territory," Trump said.
The Strait of Hormuz, which separates Iran from the Arabian Peninsula, is one of the world's most critical oil shipping routes, with a significant share of global seaborne crude exports passing through its waters.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi also pushed back on Trump's statement, saying the strait "cannot be seized by a tweet, an aircraft carrier, an executive order or a campaign speech" and that "Iran neither fears threats nor can be intimidated by shows of force."
Meanwhile, a White House official told American media that Trump had been "joking" when he made the remarks about declaring the strait U.S. territory.
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