US President Donald Trump said on Monday that the United States will likely control the Strait of Hormuz and may take over its management, stressing that it should be financially compensated for the expenses of protecting this vital waterway.
Trump added, in a telephone interview with Fox News' "Fox & Friends" program: "We will control the Strait, and maybe we will run it. We will become the Guardians of the Strait. Maybe we will be called the Guardian Angel of the Strait. And we should be compensated for it."
He continued: “We will guard it, and we will be paid for guarding it, a lot of money. We will receive compensation, because other countries are very rich. They depend on us, and we are not expected to do it for free.”
Control of the Strait of Hormuz , a vital waterway for global oil supplies, has become a major flashpoint in the conflict between the United States and Iran. Tehran's de facto blockade of the strait has driven up energy prices and fueled concerns about global inflation.
In a new escalation, Trump said via the “Truth Social” platform that the United States has decided to reimpose a naval blockade on Iran and impose a 20 percent tariff on all goods shipped through the Strait of Hormuz, after Tehran announced the closure of this vital waterway.
He added: “The Strait of Hormuz is open, and will remain open, with or without Iran. We will reimpose sanctions on Iran.” He continued: “America will receive 20 percent of all shipments to cover all costs necessary to provide security and safety to this troubled region of the world.”
Trump confirmed that the process would begin immediately, without going into further details.
Following Trump’s announcement, the US Central Command announced on Monday that the United States would resume its blockade of Iranian ports starting Tuesday at 20:00 GMT.
The US Central Command, which is responsible for US military operations in the Middle East, said in a statement: “Central Command forces will impose a blockade on vessels transiting to and from Iranian ports and coastal areas.”
The statement added that the blockade, which was imposed in response to Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz, had been lifted on June 18 as part of a truce agreement between Washington and Tehran.
The United Nations' International Maritime Organization said on Monday that it was awaiting further details regarding Trump's statements about imposing a naval blockade on Iran and collecting 20 percent compensation for every shipment passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
A spokesperson for the organization said: “We are aware of the publication and are awaiting further details,” adding that the organization “has always been consistent in its position on fees, strongly opposing the imposition of fees for passage through straits used for international navigation, and there is no legal basis for imposing mandatory fees simply for passing through a strait.”
Iran threatens
In response to Trump’s remarks, Ibrahim Zolfaghari, spokesman for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters of the Iranian Armed Forces, said that Iran “has not and will not allow the United States to interfere in the Strait of Hormuz in any way.”
He added that any American attempt to interfere in the strait would endanger the security of the region and maritime trade, stressing that the Iranian armed forces would deal with any ships that attempted to cross the strait without Iran’s approval or without adhering to the route it specifies, considering the operations carried out by the Iranian army and the Revolutionary Guard during the past days as “clear evidence” of Tehran’s ability to impose these measures.
Zulfiqari also warned the countries of the region that providing any logistical support for the American attacks would be considered a declaration of war, and could lead to the expansion of the conflict and affect all countries in the region, claiming that “the source of insecurity in the region is the United States and the countries cooperating with it,” and that cooperation with Washington increases the risk of war breaking out.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said in a statement on Monday that the only way to restore normal shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz is to end US military interventions in the waterway, warning that “the continuation of these interventions will exacerbate crises in the global oil and gas sector.”
In the same context, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi responded to Trump’s proposal to impose a 20 percent tariff on goods transported by sea through the Strait of Hormuz, stressing that Iran was and will remain the “guardian” of the strait.
Araghchi wrote on the “X” platform: “The American president is absolutely right. Everyone who guarantees the safe passage of commercialships through the Strait of Hormuz should be compensated. Iran has always been the guardian of the strait and will remain so,” adding sarcastically: “It is clear that the 20 percent figure is exaggerated. We will be fair.”
On Sunday, Trump declined to comment at length on developments related to the Strait of Hormuz, telling reporters not to ask any more questions about the status of the shipping lane, during two media interviews held in the wake of renewed tensions between the United States and Iran.
During an interview with NBC News, journalist Kristen Welker pointed out a discrepancy in statements issued by the Iranian government and the US Central Command regarding the status of the Strait of Hormuz. Trump responded by saying that the strait is "open from our point of view," adding that he did not wish to delve into this matter out of respect for the memory of the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who was announced dead on Saturday following a sudden illness, according to a statement issued by his office.
In a subsequent interview with CNN, Trump reiterated his position when anchor Jake Tapper asked him about the status of the strait, asserting: “It is open from our point of view,” before asking reporters not to talk about the subject and to focus on the reasons for the interview.
After announcing the closure of the strait on Saturday following what Tehran described as an "unauthorized crossing," Iran said on Sunday that the suspension of traffic was still in effect and that permits would be issued once "stability and calm" were restored.
Trump said: “We made a deal. It was a final deal, and then they broke it. They always break it. We made 10 deals with these people, so we’re going to hit them very hard.”
The past few days have witnessed an exchange of missile and drone attacks between US and Iranian forces. Tehran said it targeted US military facilities in Gulf countries and re-announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which led to a jump in oil prices.
Washington and Tehran had signed a memorandum of understanding last June that included a ceasefire, following Qatari and Pakistani mediation, as a prelude to reaching a final agreement to end the war, before Trump announced on July 8 the end of the ceasefire due to renewed escalation.
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