Iran labels California its 'new territory' after Trump's Hormuz claim

Tehran responds after Trump portrayed Hormuz as 'new US territory'; California home to large Iranian diaspora

An official Iranian social media account labelled California a “new territory” of Iran in response to US President Donald Trump posting an image portraying the Strait of Hormuz as “NEW US Territory.”

Trump shared the image on his Truth Social account on Tuesday, showing a map of the Strait of Hormuz with the strategic waterway circled beneath the words “NEW US Territory,” following up on his earlier remarks saying the strait would be made US territory after the war ends.

The White House later reposted Trump’s post on its official account on US social media platform X.

In response, the official Iran in Hyderabad account on X posted a map of the US showing California highlighted in blue, with the words: “NEW TERRITORY OF ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN.”

Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, also hit back at Trump’s post, writing on X: “His delusion regarding the Strait of Hormuz will soon either be corrected, or we will correct the delusions of this delusional man.”

همانطور که ترامپ نام خلیج همیشگی فارس را به صورت صحیح نوشت، به زودی توهمش درخصوص تنگه هرمز یا اصلاح می شود یا توهمات این متوهم را اصلاح خواهیم کرد. pic.twitter.com/gpxqnGK077

— Gharibabadi (@Gharibabadi) August 18, 2026

Read: Iranian lawmaker says Tehran would respond in kind if US used nuclear weapon

California, particularly the Los Angeles area, is home to the largest concentration of people of Iranian descent outside Iran. An estimated 141,000 Iranian Americans live in Los Angeles County, according to the Iranian Diaspora Dashboard hosted by UCLA’s Centre for Near Eastern Studies.

The Iranian community in Southern California expanded significantly following Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, with the Westwood area of Los Angeles becoming a major centre of Iranian diaspora life, commonly known as “Tehrangeles.”

The exchange came amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington following months of conflict.

Iran and the US signed a memorandum of understanding in June aimed at ending the war and paving the way for a broader agreement, but talks have since stalled amid disputes over its implementation and navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

Negotiations involving Iran and Oman over arrangements for navigation through the strategic waterway, meanwhile, have continued without a breakthrough.