US President Donald Trump on Friday escalated his rhetoric against Iran, declaring that Tehran must never be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon and claiming that the Strait of Hormuz was effectively under American control.

Speaking at a rally in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Trump warned of serious consequences if Iran were to obtain nuclear weapons. “We cannot let them have a nuclear weapon; we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon, or you will see some very bad things.”

“We went down, and we stopped them; they will never have a nuclear weapon,” he added.

Trump also suggested that Washington was in no hurry to strike an agreement with Tehran, even though, according to him, Iran was keen to reach a deal. He went on to make an extraordinary claim over the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.

Earlier in the day, while speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews before leaving for South Carolina, Trump said the US had “total control” over the area around the Strait of Hormuz. His remarks came in the context of Washington’s blockade and the broader standoff with Tehran.

“We’re just going to sort of see what happens, and we have total control, as you know, of the border; we have total control – if you look at the blockade, we have total control of that entire region having to do with the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump said.