NEW YORK — US President Donald Trump said Friday that he would soon declare the Strait of Hormuz a territory of the United States, as Washington and Tehran remain at odds over control and freedom of navigation through the strategic waterway.“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,” Trump said during remarks at the new Nassau County Police Academy in Garden City, New York.Trump also said the US blockade of the strait remained in place, claiming that “no ships get through unless we want them to.”Iranian military officials have disputed Washington's claims of control over the waterway. Iran's central military command on Thursday described the assertions as “baseless lies and fabrications.”Despite the restrictions, vessels have continued to transit the strait. As of Aug. 12, 3,371 vessels had crossed the waterway in the 166 days since the war began, representing around 20% of pre-war traffic volumes, according to data from commodities and shipping analytics firm Kpler cited by CNN.The US and Iran agreed to a Pakistan-brokered ceasefire in April and later signed an agreement on June 17 that launched negotiations toward a final settlement. The talks subsequently stalled over disagreements involving security guarantees and freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important routes for energy supplies and international trade.Fighting resumed between July 8 and 24, with Washington carrying out strikes on targets inside Iran. Tehran responded by attacking what it described as US military facilities and equipment in several Arab countries, including Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait.