Trump Announces US Naval Blockade of Iranian Ports, Demands 20% Fee for Strait Passage
Former US President Donald Trump on Monday announced that the United States will reinstate a naval blockade of Iranian ports, effective July 14, and declared the US the “Guardian of the Hormuz Strait,” demanding a 20% fee on all cargo shipped through the waterway.
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote: “The U.S.A. will be, from this point forward, known as ‘THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT,’ but as such, and as a matter of FAIRNESS, will be reimbursed, at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped, for any and all costs necessary to do the job of providing safety and security to this very volatile section of the World.” He added that “the process and formation will begin immediately.”
Earlier, in an interview with Fox News, Trump said the US would “probably run” the Strait of Hormuz and claimed that Iran “broke” a previous deal with the US. “We are taking over the strait,” he said.
Later on Monday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) issued a statement confirming that its forces “will resume blockading maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports” on July 14. The statement added: “The US military continues to support traffic flow through regional waters for all vessels not violating the blockade.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded on X (formerly Twitter), saying: “POTUS is absolutely right. Whoever provides secure and safe passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz should be compensated for this service.” He also asserted that “Iran has always been the GUARDIAN of the Strait and will remain so FOREVER,” but noted that “20% is of course too much. We will be fair.”
The International Maritime Organization (IMO), a UN agency regulating global shipping, rejected the proposal. A spokesperson told Reuters: “IMO stands firmly against charging fees for passage through straits used for international navigation. There is no legal basis through which to introduce mandatory tolls simply to transit through a strait.”
Before Trump’s announcement, Iran’s top military headquarters—Khatam al-Anbiya—had warned against US interference. Spokesperson Ebrahim Zolfaghari said in a statement that “repeated adventurism and malicious actions” from the US in the strait have “seriously endangered regional security, international trade and the passage of oil tankers and commercial vessels.” He cautioned that any cooperation with the US would be considered an act of “war” against Iran’s sovereignty, and warned that “the flames of war will engulf all the countries of the region” if the conflict spreads.
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical chokepoint for global oil shipments, with about one-fifth of the world's petroleum passing through it. The US and Iran have a long history of tensions over the waterway, including previous incidents of seizure of oil tankers and military standoffs.
