President Donald Trump has announced that the United States will bring back its blockade on Iranian shipping and is proposing a new plan to charge a 20% fee on cargo passing through the Strait of Hormuz. This would mark a significant move by the U.S. to assert control over one of the busiest shipping routes in the world.
In a post on Truth Social on Monday, Trump stated that the Strait of Hormuz "is OPEN, and will remain OPEN, with or without Iran," following several days of intensified U.S. military strikes on Iranian targets.
Trump explained, "We are reinstating the IRANIAN BLOCKADE, which is designed to stop only Iran's ships or customers from entering or leaving. Other countries will have fair access to the Strait."
Additionally, Trump announced that the United States will take on the role of "THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT," stating that all cargo traveling through this waterway should pay a 20% fee for security services provided by the U.S.
He continued, "From now on, the U.S.A. will be known as 'THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT,' and to be fair, we will charge 20% on all shipped cargo to cover the costs of ensuring safety and security in this very unstable area of the world. The implementation will begin immediately."
This announcement comes after four series of U.S. military strikes targeting Iranian military installations, which followed Iran's recent attacks on merchant shipping. These actions effectively ended a June agreement that had briefly paused hostilities and allowed commercial traffic to resume in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to TankerTrackers, over 80 million barrels of Iranian crude oil and refined products, valued at more than $6 billion, have left the region in the 26 days since the U.S. and Iran signed a 60-day Memorandum of Understanding and lifted the blockade on shipping to and from Iranian ports.
TankerTrackers noted, "Now that the U.S. Navy blockade is being reinstated more than a month ahead of schedule, it seems that about 30 million barrels of Iranian crude oil still need to be shipped out."
Before the blockade was lifted on June 18, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that U.S. forces had redirected 142 commercial ships that followed blockade orders and temporarily disabled nine that tried to pass through despite the restrictions. Since the blockade was lifted, U.S. forces have helped facilitate the transit of over 800 commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, according to CENTCOM.