An official Iranian social media account labelled California a “new territory” of Iran on Tuesday in response to US President Donald Trump posting an image portraying the Strait of Hormuz as “NEW U.S. Territory.”
Trump shared the image on Truth Social, showing a map of the Strait of Hormuz circled beneath the words “NEW U.S. Territory,” following earlier remarks that the strategic waterway would become US territory after the war ends.
The White House later reposted Trump's post on X.
In response, the official X account of the Iranian Consulate General in Hyderabad posted a map of the US with California highlighted in blue and the words: “NEW TERRITORY OF ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN.”
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi also responded to Trump's post on X, writing: “His delusion regarding the Strait of Hormuz will soon either be corrected, or we will correct the delusions of this delusional man.”
California's Iranian community
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 Center for Near Eastern Studies.
The Iranian-American community in Southern California expanded significantly following the 1979 Iranian Revolution, with Los Angeles' Westwood area becoming a major centre of Iranian diaspora life known as “Tehrangeles.”
Tensions over Strait of Hormuz
The exchange comes 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 over disputes concerning its implementation and navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
Negotiations involving Iran and Oman over arrangements for navigation through the strategic waterway have continued without a breakthrough.
