India, Aug. 15 -- US President Donald Trump on Friday said he would "soon" declare the Strait of Hormuz a territory of the United States. Addressing a political rally in New York state, the US president exuded confidence that the US would defeat Iran in the ongoing war.

"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.

The Strait of Hormuz, through which the one-fifth of the world's oil and natural gas passes, has largely remained shut since the US and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28.

Iranian deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi rejected Trump's remarks, saying the strategic waterway "cannot be seized ...