- US President Trump announced a 20% charge on cargo through the Strait of Hormuz
- The US will act as "Guardian of the Hormuz Strait" and seek reimbursement for security
- Trump stated the Strait is open and the US is reinstating a blockade on Iranian ships
US President Donald Trump on Monday said the United States will charge "20 per cent on all cargo shipped" through the Strait of Hormuz.
"The USA 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. The process and formation will begin immediately," Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social.
He asserted that the strait is open and added that the US is reinstating the blockade to stop Iranian ships from entering or leaving the country.
"The Hormuz Strait is OPEN, and will remain OPEN, with or without Iran. We are reinstating the IRANIAN BLOCKADE, so named because it is only stopping Iran's ships or customers from entering or leaving. All other countries will have fair and open use of the Strait," he wrote.
The Truth Social post followed comments Trump had made hours earlier in a Fox News interview, where he said the US was "taking over" the strait.
Read: Trump's Iran War Closed Hormuz Strait. Now He Wants 'Fee' For Guarding It
"We're going to keep the strait, and we'll probably run it. We'll become the guardian of the strait. Maybe we'll call it the guardian angel of the strait. And we should be reimbursed for that," he said.
Responding to Trump, a spokesman for Iran's Khatam Al-Anbiya military command said in a video message that Tehran "under no circumstances will allow... the United States to interfere in the management" of the strait. He warned Gulf countries that cooperating with the US over the waterway would be treated as "an act of war".
The warning came as the US and Iran exchanged fresh strikes for a second consecutive day, with both countries asserting their own control over the strait.
While Trump was making his announcement, Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) posted on X that it considered the strait closed, citing what it described as hostile actions by US forces.
"Due to recent hostile actions by the US forces, passage through the Strait of Hormuz is currently unfeasible. As soon as stability and calm are restored, all applications will be reviewed in accordance with the scheduled timeline, and the permitting process will resume," the PGSA said.
It added, "Remember that the sole means of obtaining a passage permit is via our website. For the latest news and updates, follow our account on X. Thank you for your patience and cooperation."
Iran maintains it has the right to manage traffic through the strait, and potentially charge fees for passage, under the terms of an interim peace deal reached last month. The US and other countries reject that position, pointing instead to international law on freedom of navigation. The American military has also been working to set up an alternative route that bypasses Iranian control altogether.
Trump suggested last week that, although talks were continuing, the interim deal was "over". Despite this, mediators including Pakistan, Qatar and Egypt have continued working towards a final agreement to end the conflict.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most important maritime chokepoints, typically carrying around one fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supply. Iran first imposed a blockade in the strait following US and Israeli strikes on Tehran on 28 February, which killed the then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and set off the wider conflict in the Middle East.
