Trump says Iran blockade to be reinstated, US to charge 20% fee on cargo transiting Hormuz

United States President Donald Trump on Monday said that the US was reinstating the naval blockade of Iran and would be “reimbursed” 20% on all cargo shipped through the Strait ‌of Hormuz for keeping the crucial waterway open.

The strait is “open and will remain open, with or without Iran”, Trump said on social media.

The reinstated blockade will only stop Iranian “ships or customers from entering or leaving” and “all other countries will have fair and open use of the strait”, he said.

The US will be known as “The Guardian of the Hormuz Strait”, Trump said. He added that “as a matter of fairness, [the US] will be reimbursed, at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped, for any and all costs necessary” to provide security in the region.

The process will begin immediately, he added.

Since the war in West Asia began, the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway connecting the Gulf to the Arabian Sea, had effectively been blocked for most international commercial vessels, triggering a global energy crisis. About 20% of global petroleum supply passes through the maritime chokepoint.

On June 15, the US and Iran arrived at an interim agreement to stop the fighting and reopen the strait for commercial vessels. They also held talks in Switzerland aimed at...

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