The United States and Iran are locked in a dangerous standoff over control of the Strait of Hormuz after President Donald Trump announced the U.S. Navy will reinstate a naval blockade and charge a 20% toll on all cargo passing through the strategic waterway.
President Trump declared on Truth Social that the U.S. will henceforth be known as “THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT” and will impose a 20% fee on all shipped cargo to cover the costs of securing the volatile route.
He insisted “the Hormuz Strait is OPEN, and will remain OPEN, with or without Iran”. The reinstated blockade specifically targets Iran, stopping “Iran’s ships or customers from entering or leaving” while allowing “fair and open use” for all other nations.
Iran Responds with Force and Defiance
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi fired back on social media, agreeing in principle that the strait’s guardian deserves compensation, but declaring: “Iran has always been the GUARDIAN of the Strait and will remain so FOREVER”. He added: “20% is of course too much. We will be fair”.
The rival claims emerged after a brutal wave of military strikes. The U.S. military launched its third consecutive night of strikes against Iranian air-defense systems, coastal radar sites, and missile and drone facilities. In response, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) struck U.S. military bases across the region, hitting Prince Hassan Air Base in Jordan, Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain, and Ali Al Salem and Ahmad Al Jaber bases in Kuwait. Iran also fired cruise missiles that hit two Emirati oil tankers near Omani waters, killing one Indian sailor and wounding eight others.
Global Oil Prices Surge as Crisis Deepens
Brent crude oil prices soared to $83 a barrel, a 12% increase in 24 hours, as concerns mount over the waterway through which 25% of the world’s oil previously passed. The IRGC declared the only way to restore regular shipping traffic is to end U.S. military interventions in the waterway.
A UN International Maritime Organization spokesperson condemned the proposed toll, stating: “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”. At the strait’s narrowest point, the shipping lanes lie entirely within Iran and Oman’s territorial waters under UN rules.
The blockade goes into effect at 4:00 PM Eastern Time on Tuesday, marking the latest escalation in the war that began when the U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28. The U.S. first imposed a naval blockade in April, later lifting it in June as part of a truce, but disputes over the strait’s control have now reignited open conflict
