President Donald Trump said on Monday that the United States would probably take over the Strait of Hormuz and should be reimbursed for controlling ​the vital waterway.

“We’re going to keep the strait, and we’ll probably run it. ‌We’ll become the guardian of the strait. Maybe we’ll call it the guardian angel of the strait. And we should be reimbursed for that,” he said in a phone interview on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends” program.

Control ​of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global oil supplies, has become ​one of the main battlegrounds of the conflict. Iran’s effective blockade of ⁠the strait has pushed up energy prices and increased concerns about inflation globally.

“We’re going to ​guard it. We’re going to get paid for guarding it - a lot of money,” Trump ​said.

“We’re going to be reimbursed, because the other nations are very wealthy. They’re on our side, and we can’t be expected to do that for nothing,” he said.

After announcing the waterway’s closure on Saturday following what it described as an unauthorised transit, Tehran said on Sunday that passage remained suspended and that permits would be issued once “stability and calm” were restored.

“We had a deal. It was a ‌done ⁠deal, and then they broke it. They always break it. We’ve had 10 deals with these people, and so we’re just going to hit them very hard,” Trump said.

Iran rejects Trump’s remarks

Iran’s military headquarters, Khatam al-Anbiya, strongly rejected US President Donald Trump’s remarks about taking control of the Strait of Hormuz, saying Tehran would not allow any American interference in the management or administration of the strategic waterway.

According to Iran’s Tasnim news agency, the headquarters said the United States would neither be permitted nor granted control over the strait, one of the world’s most important shipping lanes.

The statement said Washington’s “repeated adventures” in the Strait of Hormuz had seriously endangered regional security, international trade and the movement of oil tankers and commercial vessels.

Iranian military officials warned that any military or logistical cooperation with the United States would be considered an act of war against Iran’s sovereignty and national security, adding that any further escalation could affect the entire region.

Before the war, roughly 20% of global oil and gas shipments passed through the Strait of Hormuz, making tensions around the waterway particularly significant for global energy markets and international trade.

Separately, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said no country could accuse Iran of breaking its commitments under the “Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding” signed with the United States.

Speaking at a press conference in Tehran, Baghaei said Iran had fulfilled all of its obligations under the agreement, while the United States had violated multiple clauses under various pretexts.

He warned that if Washington failed to honour its commitments to end the war, Tehran would no longer consider itself bound to continue implementing the agreement.

Baghaei added that Iran regarded seeking justice for the blood of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and all civilians killed as a fundamental policy.

According to the spokesperson, Tehran would pursue all legal and international channels to highlight the actions of the United States and Israel on the global stage and seek justice.

Baghaei also said Iran was working with Oman to develop a joint mechanism for the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, but claimed that US pressure on Muscat was hindering those efforts.