US reimposes naval blockade on Iran, demands 20% fee on Strait of Hormuz transit

Blockade reimposed and new 20% transit fee

On Monday, President Donald Trump used his Truth Social platform to announce that the United States is reimposing a naval blockade against Iran and will charge a 20 percent fee on the value of all goods transported through the Strait of Hormuz. The move came just hours after Tehran claimed to have closed the strategic waterway, though the US military maintains the strait remains open. Trump declared the blockade would only affect Iranian-linked vessels, while guaranteeing fair and open passage for all other nations. He proclaimed the US the "Guardian of the Strait of Hormuz" and said the levy would cover any and all costs of securing the volatile region, with the process starting immediately.

The Strait of Hormuz is OPEN and will remain OPEN, with or without Iran. We are reimposing the IRANIAN BLOCKADE, so named because it stops only Iran's ships or customers from entering or exiting. All other countries will have fair and open use of the strait. The United States of America shall henceforth be known as the 'GUARDIAN OF THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ' but, as such and as a matter of FAIRNESS, will be reimbursed at a rate of 20% of the value of all goods shipped, for any and all costs necessary to secure this highly volatile section of the world.

Trump's Fox News interview: making money from protection

Earlier in the day, Trump elaborated on the strategy in a telephone interview with Fox & Friends on Fox News. He said the US has guarded the strait for 50 years without being paid and now expects to profit from the role. Trump insisted the US would take control and probably administer the strait, describing it as the "guardian angel of the strait." He stressed that American troops have been put at risk and that other nations must pay a large sum for the protection.

We will keep control of the strait and probably administer it. We will be the guardian of the strait. Maybe we'll call it the guardian angel of the strait. And we will be paid for that.

We've guarded the strait for 50 years and have never been paid for it. We've guarded it without getting anything, but now we're going to make money.

Iran's military warning

Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters, the body responsible for coordinating joint operations of the Iranian armed forces, issued a sharp warning on Monday. According to state media, the headquarters stated that any US military attempt to manage transit through the strait outside routes designated by Tehran, and without coordination with Iranian forces, will be forcefully rejected.

Any attempt by the US military to manage transit through the strait outside routes designated by Tehran and without coordination with Iranian armed forces will be forcefully rejected.

Energy chokepoint under strain

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most critical energy arteries, with roughly one-fifth of globally traded oil passing through it. The blockade and the broader Middle East conflict have already driven up energy prices and fueled inflation concerns globally. During the war, Iran blocked access, attacked civilian vessels, and laid mines, while demanding a transit fee that could become permanent after the war. Free navigation through the strait remains a highly sensitive issue in negotiations between Washington and Tehran. The new US fee structure, effectively a global security tax, threatens to disrupt the already fragile trade routes that carry a significant share of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas.