India, April 2 -- In an attempt to seemingly downplay the impact of the Strait of Hormuz embargo on rising gas prices in the US, Trump claimed in his Wednesday address to the nation that the US imports "almost no oil" via the Strait.

Trump's claim sparked a row as the Strait of Hormuz has been a major point of contention with Trump seeking help from NATO allies to secure the Strait and subsequently threatening to leave the alliance amid their refusal over escalation concerns.

But in his speech Wednesday, the 79-year-old took a complete U-turn and downplayed the importance of the Strait of Hormuz to US oil imports. "The United States imports almost no oil through the Hormuz Strait and won't be taking any in the future," Trump proclaimed....